Apocalyptic Daria
by Doggieboy80
Summary: Daria and Jane find themselves away from home at the start of a nuclear war. This story chronicles their attempts to find their loved ones and stay alive at the same time.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Daria and her associated characters are owned by MTV and Viacom. This is fan fiction written for fun.

**Apocalyptic Daria **

by

Doggieboy80

"Tell me again why we're here, at this convenience store, today of all days," Daria Morgendorffer said as she stood against her mother's car.

Jane Lane handed Daria a twenty ounce plastic bottle of Ultra Cola, a sub sandwich and a bag of potato chips. She smiled at her friend patiently and said, "The adventure of it, amiga." She opened her soda and sipped it briefly. "Best of all, it's here and not Lawndale."

Daria looked down, lifted her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose, then yawned. "You wake me up, con my mom into letting us borrow her car, just to have us drive some two hundred miles into West Virginia to eat lunch? Then what do we do?"

"We drive back to Lawndale."

"I could have stayed in bed another two or three hours."

Jane took a bite of her sub and chewed it while trying to smile at Daria. After she swallowed the food, she said, "You would have rather stayed at the same old house, reading the same old books or watching the same old TV. Then you would have wanted to eat the same old pizza and watched more of the same old TV." She waved her free arm at the hilly countryside. "You would rather have done all that when you could come here instead and see all this beautiful scenery?"

"And this is better how?"

"It's a change of pace. C'mon, Morgendorffer, it's Spring, time to shake off old man Winter and just be...spontaneous."

"How are we going to explain to my parents that we put four hundred-plus miles on Mom's car?" Daria asked and took a drink of the cola. "Sick or not, she's not going to accept 'spontaneous' as an excuse."

"You're an old fuddy-duddy. Just tell her that a band of roving gypsies forced us at gunpoint to drive them to a mini-mart in West Virginia." She saw Daria's blank stare and added, "Oh, all right, just tell her the truth. Tell her that we were abducted by aliens who wanted to examine the car in detail, including rectal probes. Also tell her that they dropped us off here and that we had to drive back, and were forced to listen to Slim Whitman on the radio."

Daria took a bite of the sub and chewed on it as she looked at her smiling friend. As she opened the bag of chips, she said, "You had me convinced until you mentioned Slim Whitman. No one will believe that one."

"I always go too far," Jane said with a shrug. "How do you like your lunch?"

Daria looked down at the sub. "What's this sandwich called? It's pretty good." Then she ate a couple of chips.

"A CBS sub," Jane replied and took another bite. As she chewed, she continued. "It has cheddar cheese, bacon and steak. I thought you might like it."

"It's nice to know that I can have variety when I clog my arteries. It gives me something to look forward to when I get older."

"Look at it this---" Jane was interrupted by a bright flash to their east. They looked to the east, as did a couple of men at the gas pumps. "What the hell was that?"

Daria still looked eastward as she said, "I don't know. Maybe a transformer explosion or something."

A second bright flash happened, this time to their north. Jane and Daria felt heat on the left side of their faces and one of the men pumping gas suddenly screamed. As the girls looked at him, he fell to the ground, his hands over his eyes. The gas nozzle he used flew to the side, gasoline spewing out the end. The other man stopped what he was doing and ran to offer assistance.

Daria and Jane then looked north, in the direction of Pittsburgh, and watched in numbed horror as a purple and red column rose into the sky. As the top blossomed into a black mushroom cloud creased with lightning, Daria whispered, "Oh, shit."

Jane scooped their food into the bag and said, "Let's get the hell out of here!"

The two girls jumped into the car and Daria quickly started the car. She then sped out of the mini-mart's parking lot and onto a four-lane highway. Doing so, she pulled out in front of another car and barely missed being hit.

As they rushed back towards I-68, Daria weaved the car around several stalled vehicles and narrowly avoided accidents with other still moving cars. A couple of times, she had to drive left of center to keep going forward.

"What's wrong with some of the cars?" Jane asked and shook with each near miss. "Why are they stopped?"

"Electromagnetic pulse from Pittsburgh," Daria said and glanced quickly at the black cloud still growing over the destroyed city. "Although I don't know why it missed us. The hills, maybe, or perhaps the mini-mart shielded us. I...I just don't know."

Both girls could hear thunder from the north. It grew in intensity as the seconds passed.

As they drove down the highway, a loud roar, different than the Pittsburgh thunder, could be heard. Neither girl could tell where it came from, however. Then the sound of a local air-raid siren could be heard.

Jane looked at Daria with tears in her eyes. "Where did the first one explode?"

Daria didn't answer right away, swallowed in her fear and said, " I think it was Washington."

"_Amiga_, that's not even fifty miles from Baltimore...and Lawndale."

Daria's chin quivered as she sped back onto the interstate's eastbound lane. "I know, Jane. I know."

Just then, the ground started shaking and the girls screamed as Daria fought to keep the car on the road and going forward. The car went off the right side once and she managed to swerve back onto the outside lane. A light pole just past the entrance ramp fell and landed on a pickup truck behind them, which resulted in a shower of sparks. Jane stared back at the accident and then looked at the growing cloud over Pittsburgh.

As the shaking subsided, Daria said, "There'll be another ground shock coming from the first explosion. Buckle up."

Jane moved and reached over Daria, grabbed the seat belt and connected it securely. Then she buckled herself in as well.

A black pillar of smoke rose in the distance ahead and Jane said, "Something's wrong up ahead."

"I think it's off the road," Daria said and swerved to avoid being hit by a bus.

"How fast are you going?" Jane asked.

"Seventy-five. I don't think I can handle the car good enough at any higher speed."

The interstate had the same amount of traffic that it did earlier that morning, but the smooth flow of it was disrupted drastically. Several vehicles in both lanes had stalled, and others were involved in pile-ups. One hill they passed had a massive fire on it and they saw what looked like the tail of a passenger jet sticking into the air from the flames. Flaming debris fell from the accident onto the westbound lanes, hitting vehicles or bouncing in different directions.

Some of the debris was human bodies.

Several more times they passed bodies on the road at an accident site or just off the road. They avoided all of them and drove on.

Then the second ground shock came, this time not as intense. Daria simply gripped the wheel tighter and said, "Turn on the radio. See what they're saying, if anything."

Jane pushed several buttons, but all they heard was static. Even the AM dial was silent. She covered her face and sobbed.

"Jane, stay with me here."

The tall girl held in her cries, took a deep breath and looked over at her friend. "I just thought of Trent. He was sleeping when we left."

"I know. I can't stop thinking about Mom, Dad, and Quinn."

"What if...what if Lawndale isn't there anymore?"

"I don't know, Jane," Daria said and looked forward. "I don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

After 20 minutes of panicked driving, Daria saw a group of people on the road ahead of them and asked, "Can you tell what's going on up ahead?"

Jane squinted and said, "They're trying to stop people. Oh my God, Daria, they have guns!"

As they got closer, three men blocked the highway and Jane looked in horror as Daria sped up the car even more. "What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes wide open.

"I'm not stopping for them. Jane, do you see a police car or even a cop there?"

"No. Why?"

"I just saw what looked like two bodies on the ground near them."

The car shook as they raced at the armed men. The men jumped aside as Daria and Jane sped by them, while others turned and fired rifles and shotguns at them.

One shot hit the back windshield and the girls screamed as the glass shattered inside and covered the backseat. Jane bent over and cried loudly as Daria slowed the car back down to seventy-five. "Are you hit? Are you hit?"

Jane looked up at her and cried for several seconds. Then she said, "No. I'm just scared shitless."

Daria nodded and weaved around more stalled vehicles. "So am I." She glanced at the remnants of the back windshield from the rear-view mirror. "Mom is going to kill me." Then she bit her lower lip and her chin trembled when she realized what she said. _I wish that I could be there for Mom to kill me._

"Daria," Jane said in a sad voice as she sat back up. "I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry."

"Why?"

"For getting us out in the middle of nowhere when all hell's breaking loose. I'm so sorry."

Daria blinked. "Jane, how could you know? For what it's worth, I agreed with what you wanted to do. It's as much my fault as it is yours." She moved her right index finger under her right glasses lens and rubbed her closed eye.

Jane turned back to see if anyone was behind them or chasing them.

Another bright flash illuminated the sky in front of the car and Daria screamed. She covered her eyes with her hands and slammed on the brakes. Jane turned around and also screamed as the car flew into an uncontrolled spin. The car rapidly went sideways into the median strip and slammed to a stop against several small locust trees near a ditch.

In the sky to their northeast, the glow of an artificial sun could be seen rising for several seconds before subsiding back over the horizon.

"Daria! Daria!"

Daria wailed loudly as she leaned onto the steering wheel. "Shit! Shit! Shit! My eye! Oh, God, my eye feels like it's on fire!

"Daria!"

"Jane, my left eye is burning! Oh, God, it hurts! It hurts!"

Jane shook and suppressed the urge to cry as she forced Daria back against the seat and tried to pull her hands down. "Let me look at it! Don't fight, dammit!"

Daria let Jane pull her hands down; her eyes were both wide open and her face was tear-streaked. "O.K., _amiga_," Jane said, "can you see anything?"

"My right eye's isn't damaged," the shorter girl said in a shaky voice. "I was rubbing it when the bomb exploded. But my left eye was wide open. I can't see anything out of it except a white light which keeps flashing." She swallowed nervously. "I think I have a flash burn."

Jane opened the glove compartment and pulled out two folded up napkins. "Close your left eye and we'll put this over it. I know it's not much, especially for the pain, but I don't know what else to do for it. You don't have a first aid kit, do you?"

"That was on Mom's list of things to buy, but kept getting put off."

Jane carefully put the napkins behind Daria's left lens. "You may have to hold them up there. Try to keep your eye shut."

Daria gave her a weak smile and said, "Thanks, Jane. I don't think I can drive anymore, though."

"I can drive now. I'll climb over you and you scoot over to the other side." The two girls switched positions and Jane tried to pull back up on the road. The car revved as she pressed the gas pedal in, but the vehicle only shook as it stayed in place. She tried several more times, but the car wouldn't move. "Daria, we're not moving." She rolled down the window and looked at the front wheel in silence for several seconds. Then she leaned back inside, closed her eyes and sighed loudly.

"What's wrong?" Daria asked.

"The wheel on the driver's side is bent in, maybe even broke. No way we can drive on it now. We're going to have to walk."

Daria leaned forward and sobbed bitterly. "I don't know where we are, outside of Interstate 68. I don't even know if we're back in Maryland yet or not. I don't know about you, Jane, but I don't even want to walk that kind of distance in normal times. Now...now..." Her voice got softer as she spoke. "Now, I'm scared to death to try it."

Jane looked at her and touched her left shoulder. "We can't stay here, Daria."

Daria turned and opened the passenger door. "I know. Let's get started."

Jane got out the driver's door and pulled out the bag of food. "Do you have anything of value you want to take?"

"The only thing of value I took out of Lawndale is Mom's car." Daria gave a short, almost bitter laugh. "If there was anything of value, I don't think I could see it."

"Let's look and see what's in the trunk anyway." Jane walked to the back of the car and looked at it quietly. Numerous BB-sized holes dotted the back of the car and the body around the back windshield; several barely missed the trunk lock. "Hoo boy," she muttered as she opened up the trunk. She pulled out a blanket and said loudly, "We'll need this later on. Do you know what the weather's supposed to be today?"

Daria looked at her silently for several seconds and said, "With nuclear explosions, I don't know what the weather will bring. We could get radioactive snow." She closed her right eye and put her right hand over her glasses. "Jane, we need to get some shelter. The wind was out of the southwest, so we won't get any fallout from Pittsburgh. But I don't know about Washington or whether or not the wind will change drastically."

"Do you think the third explosion was from Baltimore?"

"No. It was northeast. I think it was Philadelphia. It was too close to be either New York or Boston."

Jane looked back in the trunk, smiled and pulled out a tire iron. "We may need this one," she said. "There's not much else in here but a spare tire."

"Mom doesn't like a cluttered car." Just then, the ground shock reached them. Jane rushed to Daria's side and wrapped her arms around her best friend until the shaking subsided. "Jane, you can let me go now."

"I don't like the earthquakes." She released Daria.

"They're shock waves, not earthquakes."

"Ha, ha, smart ass." Jane closed the trunk and they walked up together up to the highway. The eastbound lanes were empty, but there were still several cars speeding in the westbound lanes. With a glance at each other, they started walking east in the emergency lane.

"Who do you think those guys were?" Daria asked after several seconds. 

"Criminals, maybe," Jane said. "A gang of some sort. I don't know." She took a deep breath and sighed loudly. "Thank you for not stopping for them."

"We have to watch out, Jane. We're two teen girls out alone in the wilderness. We...we have to watch out for each other, because I don't think we can rely on the authorities to protect us. At least not anytime soon."

Jane hefted the tire iron. "We don't have any other weapons, outside of your wit."

"My wit isn't worth a damn, right now." She looked behind them, nodded and looked forward again.

"Sure it is, if only between us."

Daria gave Jane a small smile, then said, "For now, we need to look out for a big stick or a large, hand-sized stone. It's not much, I know, but it's better to have more than one weapon." She shook her head. "What we really need, though, is a pistol. While I hope we never need it, right now it would bring some peace of mind."

Jane stopped and looked at Daria. "_Amiga_?"

Daria stopped and looked back. "Yes?"

"If...the worst happens, I want you to know that I love you. Not in some romantic way or even as sisters. But when you moved to Lawndale, I was no longer alone. I had someone to share life with, even if it still sucked sometimes. I don't know how to describe the love I'm talking about, except that our friendship means a lot to me."

Daria gave Jane a hug and said, "You don't have to explain it. I know what you mean. I love you, too. But don't worry about the worst. Let's just watch out for each other."

They walked down the highway again.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next half-hour, the girls walked silently down the highway. Jane watched how Daria moved as she walked. Her steps were smaller than normal; she nearly tripped over an old McDonald's bag that she would have normally stepped over. She also showed a hesitation when she did step on a rock or some debris. "Um...ground control to Major Daria," she said.

Daria stopped and turned towards her. "What?"

"Are you sure that you can even see that well? You've nearly tripped on an old bag and you're walking...well, you're walking like a little kid. There's some deep ruts up ahead and I'm afraid you'll fall. There's no shame in me holding your arm, you know."

Daria looked away off the highway. "I can still see out of my right eye," she said, "but my left eye still has the constant flashbulb effect. My depth perception is kind of...off right now."

"Well, the next town we come to, we'll go in and see if there's a doctor or police station to get your eye treated, if we can." She shifted the blanket and food bag to her left arm and took Daria's left arm in her right one. "As much as I hate to say it, maybe they'll have a refugee shelter or something we can stay in. Possibly find a phone where we can try and reach home." 

They walked together at a slightly slower pace. Daria accepted Jane's controlling hold and looked down as they walked. "If only I had brought one of Mom's cell phones," she said. "I feel like I'm three again and Mom's holding my arm."

"Well, if I see a flash like you did, then you can lead me around like you're my Mom," Jane said and scanned the area as they walked. "As long as you get me a lollipop, I'll be happy. Would you like one?"

"I have a boot that I can put up your ass," Daria said with a smile. "Seriously, Jane, what do we do if there are more bombs going off in the area? We both may end up in a ditch, blind and dying of radiation sickness. What do we do then?"

"Then we stay together until the end, _amiga_," Jane said softly and still looked around. "There is still traffic in the westbound lanes, but I haven't seen any in ours since we passed the barricade. For some reason, that scares me."

"All the eastbound traffic probably wrecked when we did," Daria said. "I should have been prepared for it. All I could think about was getting back to Lawndale." She laughed briefly. "Now that's funny. All this time, I've been waiting to get out of Lawndale and now I can't think about anything else but getting back to it."

Jane didn't respond, but looked at a pickup truck in one of the westbound lanes slow down and the two men inside gesturing towards them. "Daria, there's two guys pointing at us from the other lanes. We may need to leave the interstate." The truck then turned left onto the median strip and she said, "Shit! They're coming our way now! Let's get off the road, girl. Let's go!"

Daria tried to look their way, but Jane pulled her off the road and towards the right of way fence line. "Jane, slow down!" she said. "I don't want to fall!"

"I've got you, don't worry. Just run with me." They ran through the still short grass and to the fence. Daria climbed uncertainly, but Jane pushed her up and over the fence. She looked back to see the truck back on the road and stopping near them. Quickly she tossed Daria the blanket and bag and climbed over the fence herself. "Get into the trees! We'll lose them there."

As they reached the trees, the truck screeched to a stop and the men got out and followed them. "They went into the trees!" one of them said. "Come on, we can catch them!"

The men followed them over the fence and chased the girls further into the woods. "Slow down, girls!" one yelled ahead. "Joe and I just want to meet you."

The one called Joe laughed and said, "Yeah, we ain't going to hurt you. What are you running for?"

Jane and Daria said nothing as they ran. Daria tripped on a tree root, but Jane caught her and they kept moving.

Even with the head start, the men reached them within a minute and split up to block their escape. "No need to be unfriendly, right, Tim?"

"That's right, Joe. We're real nice fellows. You girls look a little lost and we can...help you get somewhere."

"We're doing just fine by ourselves," Jane said and hefted the tire iron. "Just leave us alone."

"You're awfully unfriendly, especially with that tire iron," Joe said. He pulled out a knife and said, "I don't like unfriendly people. How about you, Tim?"

The man called Tim pulled a pistol out of the back of his pants and said, "Let's see which is tougher, girl. Your iron or my iron."

"FEDERAL AGENT! DROP YOUR WEAPONS, BOYS! WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"

All four turned to the north, where a man clad in a suit and tie and a large, cocked revolver in his right hand walked near them. Tim turned towards him with his pistol and the agent shot him once in the chest. As he fell, the agent turned towards Joe quickly. "I don't like punks," he said and shot him in the chest as well.

Daria and Jane stood still as the agent kicked the weapons away from the bodies. He holstered his pistol and looked at the girls. "You two ladies O.K.? Did they hurt you?"

"N-n-no," Daria stammered and shivered in fright.

"Good thing for you I had to make a pit stop," he said as he picked up the extra weapons and put them in an outer jacket pocket. "Can I give you a ride? My car's just over the hill there." He pointed back from where he came.

"What about them?" Jane asked. "Are you going to do anything about their bodies?"

The agent shrugged and said, "I'll call it in when I can get to a phone that works. My cell phone quit working after the bombs started going off. Right now, I can't do anything about them. I can help you two, however. That is, if you need my help." 

Jane sighed in relief and nodded. "My friend here needs to see a doctor. The last bomb blinded her in one eye."

"I have a first aid kit. Got some eyedrops and a real bandage we can tape on her. What is that? A napkin on her eye?"

"It's all we had," Daria said defensively. "We didn't expect to be out at the beginning of a war."

"Neither did I," he said. "I was on my way back to Quantico, and taking the scenic route while doing it." He laughed and led them through the trees towards a car pulled off a two-lane highway.

At the car, Jane sat on the trunk as Daria sat on the edge of the back seat with the door opened. The agent leaned her head back and said, "Try to look up."

Daria obeyed and he put some drops in her eye.

"Go ahead and close your eye." She did so and he applied a bandage, then taped it securely. "Try not to strain your eye. That should do until you can get a doctor to see it." He put up the kit and then said, "Hop in, I'll get you to an emergency shelter then get on my way."

The girls got in the back seat and the man shut the door. He got behind the wheel and looked back at them. "Are you two high school students? Where are you from?"

"We're from Lawndale, near Baltimore," Daria said.

"You're a long way from home," he said. "Do your folks know where you're at?"

Jane shook her head. "We went on a road trip for the fun of it." She gave a bitter laugh. "Talk about sucky timing."

Daria looked at the man intently and said, "You said that you're a federal agent?"

He pulled a leather card holder out of his jacket pocket and opened it to show them a shiny gold star-shaped badge. "Senior Agent Larry Carter at your service." He shut it quickly and put it back inside his jacket. "I bet that your mothers would be upset about you being so far away from home."

Daria's face paled on seeing the badge and Jane noticed her reaction. She leaned over and whispered, "Daria, what's wrong?"

"FBI agent badges are shield-shaped, Jane," Daria whispered back. "Not star-shaped."

Jane had laid the tire iron on the floorboard and grabbed it as the "agent" turned with the revolver in his left hand. "Yes," he said, "you would think that your mothers would have warned you about accepting rides from strange men." He cocked the pistol and aimed it at Jane's face. "Drop it! Drop it or I'll splatter your brains all the back windshield. Don't test me, girl. You already know I'll kill you if I have to."

Jane dropped the tire iron back on the floorboard.

"Hands on your head! Both of you! Now!" Both girls obeyed him quickly and he untied his necktie with his right hand, then removed it. He tossed it onto Jane's left shoulder. "O.K., baby, tie your four-eyed girlfriend's hands together behind her back."

Jane took the tie and pulled Daria's hands behind her back. Both cried as Jane tied her friend's hands together.

"You better tie 'em tight, girl, or else I'll put a hole in her shoulder. Anywhere I shoot her with this .357, she'll die from shock, if she doesn't bleed to death first."

"Don't worry about it, dammit!" Jane snapped and wiped her eyes. "I've got her tied up."

"Good," he said and smiled. "Turn and face the window, both of you." They obeyed and he picked up the tire iron and laid it up front with him. "Here's the deal. I'll take you someplace where we can...get acquainted. Where I can take some time with both of you. I'll take you first, tall girl. Then I'll save you for later, four eyes."

"Why didn't you just share us with those other guys?" Daria said.

The man hit the back of her head with the revolver barrel and was rewarded with a cry of pain. "I'm not a pervert, girl! Just shut your mouth and be quiet!" He looked at them and smiled. "You two are just like all the other women. Stupid and easy. You see a clean-cut man in a suit and with an attitude and you believe whatever you hear. Stupid. O.K., tall girl, lay face down on the seat, and keep your hands on your head while you do it. Then you, four eyes, lay on your back on top of her. Do it!"

The girls obeyed and the man buckled the seat belts tightly. "Don't want you to fall." He then laughed, turned around and drove away.

For more than an hour, the man drove and occasionally watched them from the rear-view mirror. Daria looked out the back window and saw that they had stayed in the woods. In fact, the more they drove, the woods got thicker and thicker and the quality of the roads got worse and worse.

Finally, he stopped, parked the car and got out. He opened one of the rear doors, reached in and pulled Daria outside. She leaned unsteadily against the car when he released her. He then unzipped her jacket, pulled it halfway down her arms and said, "I'll take this and everything else off you later, baby."

When he reached in for Jane, she turned over quickly and kicked his thighs with both feet. He fell back and she dove out of the car after him. She managed to land two punches before he backhanded her away from him. "You're a regular firecracker, aren't you?" he asked.

"I'll show you 'firecracker', you sick bastard," Jane said, wiped blood from her lower lip and kicked at him. He sidestepped the kick and tried to punch her. She avoided the blow and jumped onto his back. She landed two more punches and yanked out a handful of hair to get a roar of pain from him. He threw her over his head and into an evergreen shrub.

Jane jumped to her feet, rushed at him and kicked for his crotch. Her kick missed, however, and the man rammed his fist into her face instead. She fell to the ground hard and laid still.

"Jane?" Daria asked weakly and tried to free her hands.

The man turned to Daria and leered at her. "Looks like you're going to be first after all, sweetie," he said.

"Jane?" Daria asked in a louder voice.

The man approached her and unbuttoned his shirt.

"JANE!" Daria screamed and started crying again. She rushed the man and tried to head-butt him, but he sidestepped her and wrapped his right arm around her waist tightly.

"How about that? You're both firecrackers." He laughed as she struggled to free herself and added, "I like that. I like this also." He grabbed the top of her blouse and tore it down the front.

"NO!" Daria's sight was a total blur, but she continued to fight. "DAMN YOU!"

"Scream all you want. Everybody is a bit busy today. At least, those still alive are busy. Come to think of it, we're going to be busy, too." He grabbed the front of her bra and ripped it away from her chest. The straps snapped as they tore and she cried out in pain from it. He dropped the ruined fragments on the ground and kissed the top of her head.

Daria jerked her head to the side and tried to free herself from his grip.

The man laughed again, grabbed her head and forced his mouth onto hers. She continued to struggle and free herself, but failed. He broke the kiss and pushed her down hard onto her back. He glanced back at Jane, who was still and unconscious, then back at Daria, who had sat up.

"Stay on your back!" he ordered her and kicked her right shoulder back with his right foot. She cried out in pain and rolled onto her left side, while he undressed himself and laid the gun holster on top of his clothes on the ground nearby.

Daria shook her head as the man sat on the ground beside her and pulled her by her shoulders closer to him. "No, no, no, no, please, no," she begged him.

He forced his mouth onto hers again and muffled her cries. She continued to fight as he held and kissed her.

**oooooooooo**

Jane opened her eyes. She took a deep breath and suppressed a groan as she listened to Daria and the man struggle. She slowly touched her nose, pulled her hand away and looked blankly at the blood on her hand. 

Carefully, she looked towards the others. She could see the man was too busy kissing Daria to realize anything else. She saw the man's clothing on the ground, and the pistol and holster on top of that.

As Jane sat up, she grimaced from the pain in her face. She carefully moved her jaw and glanced at the man. Then she moved to the pile of clothing, and pulled the pistol out of the holster. She now glared at the man as she stood up, carefully cocked the weapon and aimed it at him.

The man broke the kiss, panted heavily in Daria's face and said, "It's time to really scream now." 

"I agree," Jane said. "You go first."

The man turned around quickly, saw the pistol in Jane's hands and screamed, "NO!"

Jane shot the pistol and the bullet hit the man's right shoulder. He screamed, gripped his shoulder and fell onto the bound girl, who grunted from the sudden weight on her body. He yelled again and rolled off her to land on his back.

"Bastard!" she spat out and rushed to Daria. She pulled her friend away from the man as she said, "_Amiga_! Are you still with me?"

Daria cried as Jane helped her sit up. She moved her head to Jane's chest and cried more. 

"There, there," Jane whispered and rubbed the back of her head. Some of the man's blood had splattered Daria's face and Jane wiped it off with part of the ruined bra cup. "It's over. It's over."

Daria cried for a couple of minutes as Jane held her tight. Finally, as her cries subsided, she said, "Untie me, Jane."

Jane fiddled with the knotted necktie and after a couple of minutes, untied it.

Daria stood, flexed her hands and stared at the man, who moaned weakly and shook as he bled from the bullet wound. "Help me," he said, his words a struggle.

She held out her right hand and said, "Jane, give me the pistol. I'll shoot him in the head."

Jane gave her the weapon and replied, "Yeah, put him out of his misery."

Daria got to her feet, cocked the pistol and spat at the man. "You bastard," she said and fired the pistol at his genitals.

The man simply gasped, shivered fast for several seconds, then passed out.

"I thought you meant the other head," Jane said, her eyes wide.

"Asshole ruined my clothes," Daria said and spat again twice. "He hurt you and me both. Let him bleed to death." She kicked his side, let out a frustrated scream and kicked him twice more. Then she looked down at her ruined blouse and bra. She sighed and looked even more frustrated. "I can't go around like this."

Jane picked up his shirt. "Maybe you should wear this. It's not like he needs them anymore."

Daria laid the pistol down, removed her jacket and put the man's shirt over her ruined garments. She muttered under her breath as she buttoned the shirt up and kicked his unresponsive body again. She clenched her fists and asked, "Has it even been four hours yet? What happened? We zip through a roadblock, get accosted by two yahoos in a truck and beaten and nearly raped by some fake federal agent. What happened? It's like that damned Yates poem. The center doesn't hold, everything falls apart, or something like that."

"Look at it this way, Daria," Jane said as she picked up his clothes, a forced smile on her face. "We have a car again and guns as well."

Daria put back on her jacket, picked up the holster and slung it over her left shoulder. She holstered the pistol, looked at Jane's face and asked, "How's your nose doing? It looks broken."

"I can breathe," Jane said. "That's what's important. I'm sorry about tying up your hands like that. I know it hurt when I did it."

"Don't worry about it," Daria said as she walked up and gave her a quick hug. "Let's just get the hell out of here."

The two got in the car and drove off.


	4. Chapter 4

Daria wrapped her arms over her chest and sunk into the car seat as Jane drove down the access road. "Do you know where we are?" she asked. "I don't." 

"No," Jane said. "We could be in Pennsylvania or Virginia for all I know."

Daria opened the glove compartment and pulled out a traffic map "New York State," she read. "Fat lot of good that does us." She threw the map behind her. "When you find a highway, get us to the next town, any town. Maybe we can get some shelter." She looked outside. "Not knowing where we're at, we could be downwind from a bombed city. Or maybe we're in a clear area. Without a Geiger counter or dosimeter, we'll never know how much fallout, if any, we've even been exposed to." 

"Wouldn't we get ash or some sort of debris that could warn us?" Jane asked as she turned right on a sharp curve.

"Not necessarily." Daria took off her glasses and covered her eyes. "You can get debris like ash, but if you're close enough to an explosion, you'll still get fallout, with or without debris. That's the problem with fallout. You can't see it, smell it or taste it. But it can still kill you."

"What's wrong? Are your eyes hurting?"

"I'm getting a bad headache. It feels a little better when I cover my eyes." She paused, then added, "Who knows what that bastard put in my eye? It could have been saliva or worse."

"You just hold on, _amiga_, I'll get you some help." She paused, cleared her throat and said, "Daria?" 

"What?"

"We probably better not tell anyone about what we did to that man. I know that we probably have no danger of trouble, but I really don't want to get arrested by a would-be Barney Fife and live out a war in a prison camp somewhere."

Daria said nothing for several seconds and finally nodded. "You're right. He may be from this area. In fact, this car may be well known to the locals."

"I don't think so," Jane said. "I saw the plates. They're from New Jersey."

Daria uncovered her eyes and looked at Jane in confusion. She grabbed the pants, dug out the man's wallet and opened it. "A New Jersey driver's license. One Larry Carter, age 42, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey." She grabbed his suit jacket and pulled out the leather card holder from the inside pocket.

"You told me he had the wrong badge," Jane pointed out.

Daria gave a short, derisive laugh. "'Special Agent'," she read. "It looks like one of those badges that rent-a-cops get. Probably bought it through mail order or something." She rummaged through his wallet and pulled out a card. "'Larry Carter, Senior Consultant, Phoenixville Consulting, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.'" She then pulled out a wallet-sized photo. "He has a...a wife...three kids and a...and a cat." She dropped the photo, looked down and covered her eyes again. "Shit."

"Daria, if this guy was such a loving husband and father, why was he trying to rape us?" Jane turned the car right onto a paved highway and picked up speed. "There couldn't have been much love in his heart for them, if any, since he wanted to rape us or anyone else."

Daria simply shook her head and kept her eyes covered up.

Jane gave her a concerned look and drove on in silence for several minutes. Finally, she looked at a green sign that read "DAWSON 2" with an arrow that pointed to their left. "Jackpot."

"What?" Daria asked, her eyes still covered.

"There's a town two miles away," Jane said and turned onto a county highway. "We'll be there in a couple of minutes and get you some help."

Jane passed a few homes, all looking silent with no signs of life, except for a couple of dogs they passed at one home. She turned into a small curve and stopped at the top of a hill. "Uh, Daria, there's another roadblock about a hundred yards ahead," she said.

Daria quickly moved her head up and looked ahead. "They're using a bullhorn. Let's see what they're saying."

They opened their windows and heard a voice yell out, "...OUT OF HERE! JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! WE HAVE NO ROOM FOR YOU HERE! GO AWAY!"

Jane put the car in park and stepped outside. She cupped her hands at her mouth and yelled back, "MY FRIEND GOT BLINDED BY A BOMB FLASH! SHE NEEDS HELP!"

The man yelled back, "WE HAVE MORE THAN 50 HERE WHO ARE ALSO BLINDED! WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEDICINE FOR THEM AND WE HAVE NONE FOR YOU! WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE! JUST GET YOUR ASSES OUT OF HERE OR WE WILL SHOOT YOU!" To emphasize that last line, several of the men aimed rifles or shotguns at them.

"Let's get out of here, Jane," Daria said quickly. "I'll be O.K. Let's just go."

Jane flipped the men two upright middle fingers at the same time, got back in the car and shifted into reverse. "Screw 'em. So much for Southern hospitality."

"I can't blame them, Jane. They're probably just as scared as we are."

"I don't think so. They have a place to be and we don't. We're in worse shape." 

Daria reached out and touched Jane's right shoulder. "We'll just go to another town. Someplace will help us, take us in." She gave her a small smile. "I recommend that you do not tell anyone else that they're 'Number One'. They could have shot us for that."

Jane got the car turned around and drove back towards the highway. "Well, they ticked me off."

"Yeah, but they outgunned us, too."

Ten minutes later, the car passed a sign that said, "LEWISVILLE WELCOMES YOU".

"We'll see about that," Jane muttered as she stopped at another roadblock near an abandoned gas station, this time manned by police officers and apparent volunteers. None of them seemed angry or even frightened.

A policeman, his right hand resting close to his holstered pistol, walked up to the car as Jane opened down her window. "I'm sorry, ladies," he said and he looked over the two girls from behind mirrored sunglasses. "We're only letting Lewisville residents in at the moment. I'm going to have to ask you to turn around and leave."

"I was blinded in my left eye by one of the explosions," Daria said. "Not only that, but we were attacked and beat up by some man. Can you at least have us checked out by a doctor?"

The policeman shook his head sadly. "We have at least a few hundred in the same boat as yourselves, Miss. We even have some gunshot victims. We have no doctors, nurses or even paramedics here yet. All we have are two first responders and a bunch of volunteers who don't know that much."

"How about a Geiger counter, then? We don't know if we've been contaminated or exposed to fallout."

The policeman nodded and said, "Pull your car in that old gas station lot." He pointed behind them to their right. "I'll send someone to check you and the car out. But do not come to us. Wait at the car."

Jane pulled into the gas station lot and watched in silence as a few cars were let into the town. Many more were turned away. "Do you want to wait outside?" she asked.

"Not really," Daria said. "Keep our exposure to a minimum."

After more than a half hour, a small, older man with a Geiger counter walked up to them. They stepped outside and he slowly moved the probe over Daria, starting at her head and moving down over the front of her body. He did the same with her backside and then repeated the procedure with Jane. Finally, he said, "Ladies, I'm sorry about how personal that may have seemed. But as far as I can determine, you two are clean."

"Could you check out the car, please?" Daria asked and he nodded.

"You two are quite a ways from home," he said as he saw the license plate.

"We were on our way back." Daria added. "Talk about bad timing."

The man only made a quick check of the car's exterior. "It's not hot and neither are you two," he said. "I don't know where all the bombs went off. But I do know that Washington and Philadelphia got it. If you're headed back to New Jersey, I suggest you go wide around Philadelphia."

"We have relatives in Lawndale, Maryland." Jane said. "We're headed there."

"Is that near Washington?" he asked.

"It's a suburb of Baltimore," Daria said.

The old man looked at each of them slowly, shook his head, then said, "John, the policeman over there, told me that Baltimore is being evacuated right now. They're having really heavy fallout and fires that spread from the Washington bomb. I don't think you should go there." He paused. "I don't even think you can get in there."

Daria paled and shook visibly. Jane put her left arm around her to steady her and asked, "Do you know of anyplace that's taking in refugees? We still need to see a doctor."

"I've heard that the Cumberland area has several being set up. Just get back up to the interstate and go east to get there."

"Let's go, Daria," Jane said gently. To the old man, she said, "Thank you for checking us out with that counter."

"God go with you two," he said as he waved and walked back to barricade.

As Jane pulled back out on the highway and drove away from Lewisville, Daria seemed to shrink further into the car seat. "At least these people were polite," Jane said, trying to steer the subject away from the news about Baltimore.

Daria took off her glasses and covered her face with her hands. She rocked in the seat and shook as she did so. Occasionally, a sob could be heard from her. Jane glanced at her with concern several times, but continued driving.

**oooooooooo**

After awhile, Jane slowed the car and said, "Daria?"

Daria said nothing and didn't move.

"There's a church about a mile off the road to the north," Jane said. "Maybe we can get shelter there." 

"What about going to Cumberland like that man said?"

"I don't want to chance being out at dark," Jane added. "I'm also getting tired, Daria. It feels as if we've been out for the whole weekend instead of the day. Let's face it. We both need to get some rest." Daria lifted herself in the seat and Jane saw that she had tears on her face.

"A church isn't exactly my choice for a shelter," Daria said, wiped her eyes and shrugged. "But I don't care. Do whatever you want."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Jane replied and turned down the next county road.

They reached the church about a minute later and Jane got out of the car. No other cars were in the overgrown parking lot. She noticed that the wind was from the south and had picked up some as she moved up to the church's front door. A small marquee near the door read, "Crainstown Christian Church. Rev. Marion Summers, Pastor." That was followed by the service times through the week. Several letters and numbers in the sign were missing and Jane wondered if the church might be abandoned or just closed. Hesitantly, she knocked on the front door and tried the handle. It opened.

Jane looked back at Daria, who had scrunched herself back into the seat and covered her face again. She turned back to the church and moved inside. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

No one answered and Jane moved up to the entrance of the sanctuary. The inside of the church was dark and cool. She tried a light switch and the vestibule lit up. "They still have power," she muttered and looked for a thermostat. She found one and turned it up to 70 degrees. Somewhere in the building a furnace kicked in and a fan started up in it.

She went back outside and knocked on the car's passenger window. Daria looked up at her and Jane said, "Come on, Morgendorffer. We can get inside and get warm."

Daria got out of the car and trudged up the steps to the church's front door. She looked at Jane and asked, "We have permission to stay here?"

"Just get inside, Daria, we'll worry about it later." She pointed at the skies. "It might start raining soon. We need to be inside when it does rain."

Daria stared at her for several seconds, then went inside. Jane moved the car behind the church, loaded her arms with the belongings and went inside the church.

Once inside, Jane handed Daria what she brought in, and went back outside. She opened the car's trunk and looked over the late Larry Carter's possessions in curiosity. She grabbed a soft gym bag, filled it with different items and took it with the car's tire iron inside. Carefully, she then locked the church door and led Daria to a door that was labeled "OFFICE". She turned off all the lights, except the one in there and said, "You wait here and I'll look over the church. Maybe I'll find more blankets or bottled water or something else we can use."

"You brought the guns in, didn't you?" Daria asked as she sat on a couch.

"Yes, Daria, I brought in everything I could. I wasn't sure about bringing weapons in a church, but we can't leave them outside either."

Daria stared at the floor and rocked herself in small movements. "In the early history of the U.S., worshippers brought guns into church with them. They had gun ports in the walls in case they had to fight off the...previous owners of the land."

Jane stared at Daria and said, "Sometimes, I think you make this stuff up just to get me on it later."

"Damn. You found out my secret. Now, I'll have to kill you before you can warn the others."

Jane laughed and smiled at her friend. "You just stay in here and I'll be right back." She left the office and Daria opened the blanket and covered herself with it. When Jane returned to the office nearly 20 minutes later, Daria was laid out on the couch asleep.

Quietly, Jane moved up to Daria, lightly kissed the top of her young friend's head and said, "You rest. I'll keep my eyes open for you." She yawned. "But it's not going to be that easy."

**oooooooooo**

_Daria found herself at the kitchen table with her family, eating dinner. At first she was shocked, but accepted it as Helen served lasagna to everyone. _

She smiled as Jake complained about squirrels and the laws that protected them more than they did him. Quinn went on and on and on about the Fashion Club and their inane activities and that made her smile even more. Then Helen's cell phone rang and it was Eric again, of course.

A bang sounded off in the distance, but Daria was the only one to hear it. She looked around in confusion, especially as a loud roar seemed to get louder and louder.

Suddenly everything except Daria was engulfed in flames. But Jake still went on with his rant about squirrels, Quinn continued her talk about the Fashion Club and Helen still chatted with Eric on the cell phone. Daria yelled at them, but no sound came out of her mouth.

Then Daria saw that she was also engulfed in flames and waved her arms in panic. She screamed very loud and in horror. 

**oooooooooo**

"Daria! Daria! Wake up! You're having a nightmare! Daria!"

Daria screamed and waved her arms around in a full fledged panic, as Jane came to her and shook her.

"Wake up!"

"J-Jane?" 

"I'm right here, _amiga_. I'm right here." 

Daria looked around the pastor's office and everything came back to her. The trip to West Virginia for lunch, the bombs going off, being blinded, nearly getting raped and then killing the man, being kept out of towns at gunpoint and the church.

"Bad dream, wasn't it?"

"A nightmare from hell," Daria gasped and sat up on the couch.

"About that Carter asshole?"

"No. It was about my family."

"Oh," Jane said. "You want to talk about it?"

"How long have I been out?" Daria asked and changed the subject. Then she looked at the lit candle and noticed how dark it was around the office. 

"Almost five hours." Jane stretched her arms out. "I was getting ready to wake your lazy butt up. After all, I want a chance to get my 12 hours of sleep in."

"You've been awake the whole time?" Daria asked and Jane nodded. "What did you do?"

Jane shivered and said, "I read Mr. Larry Carter's secret diary, which he had in the trunk of his car. Congratulations, you're number 22. I'm number 21, if what I read in his notes was correct. Apparently, this character was a serial rapist...and murderer. Only three of his victims escaped and he tracked down and killed one of them." She swallowed. "He liked his victims to scream as he...crap, I feel dirty just having read it. The _bad_ kind of dirty."

Daria held out her right hand. "Let me see it."

Jane shook her head. "You can't read it until you're old enough, Morgendorffer. We're talking mature subject matter here."

"Jane, I'm much more mature than you are."

"I just let you think that so that you have something to cling onto."

"You are so full of it, Lane. Don't make me come over there."

"Actually, I want you to. It's my turn to use the couch."

"Did you find anything in the church?"

Jane motioned to a pile of items on the desk. "They have a clothes pantry here. You need to try on blouses and bras and see which fits. Then they have some food in their kitchen. Crackers, bottled water, canned soda, assorted stuff that has to be cooked to be merely inedible. For the real lifesaver, there's a bathroom two doors down."

Daria stood up. "I'll be back, then." She stopped in the doorway. "Jane, I can deal with that Carter freak somewhat. I'm certain he's dead and won't come back. I pity his family, though, never knowing anymore about him. What I can't get out of my mind is my family. I feel like I've let them down, though I do know better."

Jane looked back at her. "Like you said earlier, how could we know what would happen today? We didn't and got caught away from home."

"I know. I'll be back." She left and Jane laid out onto the couch and spread the blanket out over her. 


	5. Chapter 5

When Daria came back from the bathroom, she found Jane not only asleep on the couch, but her mouth wide open as she snored a full symphony. She picked up one of the bras from the pile of clothes, stood over Jane's head and held it over her mouth, a smile on her face, but resisted the temptation.

Instead, she walked back to the desk and sat down. She took off her glasses, rubbed her bandaged eye gently and sighed, not sure what she should do first. She saw the wrapper of Jane's sub from lunch in the trash can and dug her food out of the bag. Quietly, she ate the sub and chips and drank the soda with a slight grimace from it's warm taste.

After she ate, Daria put back on her glasses and left the office, then walked to the vestibule. An outdoor light had come on, apparently by timer and it's glow came in through a cross-shaped window above the door. For several seconds, she looked at the lighted cross on the floor and listened to the wind outdoors.

Daria unlocked the door and stepped outside. The wind had shifted back from the southwest and she looked out at the southern horizon in the night sky. Most of what she saw was darkness, with a few outdoor lights on in the distance. There was no way to tell from where she was whether or not people were located at the lights.

To the southeast, the horizon glowed brightly, in contrast to all the blackness everywhere else. _Washington_, she thought and felt cold from the knowledge of its destruction. _I wonder how long it will burn? I wonder if we even have a government anymore?_

In the distance somewhere, she heard car tires squealing and what sounded like gunshots. Somewhere else, dogs barked. She thought that she could also heard people speaking, but with the wind, she didn't know where they were or what they were saying. Quickly, she stepped back inside the church and relocked the door carefully.

The church had a small library in what appeared to be a smaller version of the sanctuary. She resisted the temptation to turn on the light and squinted with her right eye to read the book spines.

A car sped by the church going towards the highway; the headlights shone through the stained glass windows and she tensed as she listened to it go by. It didn't slow down and she only relaxed as the sound of it vanished in the distance. She looked back at the shelved books.

From what she could see, most of the books were of religious themes or personal testimony biographies. She saw several Bibles, a couple _Left Behind_ novels and some older general fiction novels, but what got her attention was a Boy Scout Manual. The words "Be Prepared" came to her mind and she took the book with her back to the office.

Jane still sawed logs, her mouth wide open and her right side hanging over the couch's edge. Daria smiled at her best friend and gently pushed her back into the cushions. Then she sat behind the desk and noticed the black book labeled "RECORD". She set aside the Boy Scout Manual and opened the black book to read in the candlelight.

**oooooooooo**

When Jane awoke later that morning, she smelled hot food and looked to see a paper plate filled with ravioli on a TV tray near her. "Aw, breakfast in bed," she said, yawned and stretched. "You shouldn't have."

"I know. But someone had to cook since you slept for nearly 10 hours." Daria had thrown her ruined blouse and bra away and now wore a cream-colored blouse with a slender pair of black jeans. Her skirt was folded on the desk. She sat down on the desk and leaned back slightly.

Jane gulped down half a bottle of water and sighed loudly. "Ten hours? Dang it, I lost two hours of much needed sleep. Have you been awake the whole time?"

"Pretty much. I washed up in the bathroom, changed my clothes and read some things."

"Did you read Carter's diary?"

Daria cringed and shivered. "We were damned lucky yesterday," she said. "If you hadn't woke up and shot him when you did...we'd still be alive right now, but we wouldn't want to be." She wiped her right eye. "We were too nice to him when we left. We should have chopped up the sadistic, psychopathic son of a bitch and poured salt on his remains."

"He was a real piece of shit," Jane said and shook her head. "I feel sorry for all those families he's hurt. Some of them probably still don't know about their missing wives, mothers and daughters."

"The entry about the 12-year-old girl made me sick," Daria said and closed her eyes. "It also made me want to cry. I wanted to go back to his body and burn it. We should at the very least burn that diary. It's worse than pornography. It's just evil in writing."

"I know," Jane said. "But he can't hurt anyone else, thanks to us." She yawned widely and stretched again.

"You needed to wake up anyway, Jane," Daria said quickly as she changed the subject. "It's Sunday morning. We should be ready when the church members start showing up. I don't think a war will stop services. In fact, I'm surprised that none of them were here when we got here yesterday. Hopefully, they won't be too mad at us for spending the night in their church."

"_Amiga_, I think this church is abandoned, or maybe even closed."

Daria shook her head in disagreement. "If that was so, this place would have smelled musty when we got here. I didn't think about it until you were asleep, but this place really smells clean. If it had appeared closed or abandoned to me, then I wouldn't have touched the food at all."

"Their sign was missing letters and numbers." Jane shrugged. "That's why I thought it was closed up. Did anything happen while I slept?"

"I went outside for a minute," Daria said. "It hadn't rained as far as I could tell. I heard cars, gunshots, other sounds. Several times, cars sped by the church. I even heard voices, I think. It may have just been the wind, though. I don't know."

"Did you find any clothes you could use?"

Daria motioned towards the pile on the desk. "I found quite a bit of clothes that may be useful. In fact, I've been thinking about clothes most of the time you were laying there snoring."

"I was snoring? So that explains why my mouth is dry."

"No, your mouth is dry because you drool in your sleep." She smiled as Jane stuck her tongue out in response. "Besides thinking about clothes, we need to decide what we're going to do next. Are we going to stay here awhile with the church's permission or are we going to try and get to one of the Cumberland refugee shelters?"

Jane ate a couple of spoonfuls of ravioli and drank some water. "Daria," she finally said, "before we go anywhere, we need to find out what's going on out there. I didn't even think of looking for a radio while you slept. Did you look?"

Daria pulled a small transistor radio out of one of the desk drawers. "It works, but all I've picked up so far is one station that's too far away to clearly understand. It goes in and out."

"Is it an American station?"

"I think it's out of Cincinnati. At least, that's what I _think_ they said." She turned the radio on raised the volume to it's full limit.

"...least 20 American cities have..." The radio squealed for several seconds, then came back in. "...word on whether the president or vice-president has survived the events of yesterday morning. The destruction of Wash..." The radio squealed again. "...chaos in coordinating any kind of emergency management in the path of destruction. The last known bomb to explode in the U.S. was just before midnight in St. Louis..." Another squeal interrupted the signal again. "...at least 20 nuclear explosions have been reported from Russia and the Ukraine. Border fighting between Russian and Chinese forces has also been reported. Nuclear explosions have also been reported in the Chinese mainland, but there is no word on just how many bombs have went off there. Western European nations, as well as Japan and Australia, have reported no..." This time the radio went out for more than a minute and Daria turned it off.

"We'll try again later after breakfast," she said.

Jane wolfed down more of the ravioli, sat back and stretched, then belched loudly. "O.K.," she said. "I think we should try to get to Cumberland and get in one of the shelters. As much as I appreciate using this church as a shelter, I'm not so sure it'll be safe in the long run. Too many windows to protect. Plus, in a shelter, we might have a better chance to see a doctor. Which reminds me, we need to take off that bandage and check your eye." She ate another spoonful and motioned at her with the spoon. "Where's your plate?"

"I ate already. This place doesn't have a microwave, so I had to cook it on the stove. I ate my breakfast while I cooked yours."

"Well, thank you for breakfast." She finished off the food and drank the rest of the water. "Let's take care of your eye." She threw the plate and bottle in the trash and looked at how full the trash can was. "We should clean up our mess, just in case the members come here today."

Daria pulled the bottle out of the trash and set it on the desk. "We may need that bottle later on," she replied to Jane's questioning glance.

They walked to the bathroom and Jane took a paper towel and wet it down. "You take off the bandage and keep your eye closed, Daria. Let me wipe it off before you open it."

Daria carefully pulled the tape off her face and winced when she pulled a few hairs out of her left eyebrow. She waited as Jane gently washed the eyelid and lashes.

"O.K., Daria, let's see how you look." Daria opened her eye and Jane shook her head. "Really, really bloodshot. You look like you're drunk, Morgendorffer."

"It's all that positive influence that you exude, Lane. At least that's the excuse I plan to tell the cops when they stop me."

"You're a laugh riot. How well can you see?"

Daria wiped her left eye and said, "It's all a blur out of that eye and my tear ducts apparently are working overtime."

"Any pain?"

Daria shook her head. "Just a feeling that I've got some sand in my eye."

Jane stroked her chin and thought about it. "I'd say that you're healing and are not infected. That's good. But we should probably cover it up again."

"Let's leave it uncovered awhile. I'll just shut my eye for now." 

"Sounds good to me, Daria. By the way, I like the blouse you picked out. It looks like something that you bought at Cashman's."

"Smile when you say that, Jane. For your information, it fit me perfectly. That's why I'm wearing it. About clothes, I was going to tell you that we need to stock up with what we can before we leave." 

"Oh?" Jane raised her eyebrows in question. "Why?"

"I have a...deep feeling that we may not see Lawndale for a real long time. Maybe never again. We need extra clothes so we can change them everyday. We need to pick out sturdy clothes, such as jeans and long-sleeved shirts, and jackets. But we especially need underwear and socks. A shelter will be smelly enough, but if we can change at least our underwear and socks regularly, then it will be a little more bearable."

"Makes sense to me." Jane smile and touched Daria's left shoulder. "If we stick together, _mi_ _amiga_, that will make staying in a shelter a little more bearable."

Daria smiled back, patted Jane's hand and they walked to a room labeled "CLOTHES PANTRY".

In the clothes pantry, the two girls sorted through several piles of clothing while searching for what they needed. Suddenly, as Jane looked through costume items, she said, "A-ha! I have the perfect thing for you, Daria."

Daria looked up from a stack of blue jeans at her. "Why are you going through Halloween costumes for, Jane? I'm not going to a shelter dressed as an alien or a cowgirl."

Jane turned around with an adult pirate costume and held up a black eyepatch. "You can put this one on and look tough while you rest your eye."

"Words fail me," she said in a monotone.

"Oh, don't be so lame and try it on." She handed it to Daria.

Daria put it on and said, "Well? How do I look?"

"Like Black Daria--the scourge of the seven seas, eight rivers and Dega Street."

"I feel like and also probably look like a dork." She gave Jane a small smile. "But at least it feels comfortable on me."

Jane nodded and looked closely at how it looked on Daria. "Well, keep it on awhile and we'll see how you do with it."

Over the next several minutes, both girls had formed a small pile of clothes, but not very much. "Their selection is kind of limited," Jane remarked.

"You have to remember that most of this stuff is rejects," Daria said, "or, like the blouse I'm wearing, probably out of fashion or season."

Jane held up several small backpacks. "We have bookbags to carry stuff in. If we end up on foot, then it'll be easier to carry. What color do you want?"

"Stick to something dark and non-reflective," Daria answered as she rejected several flimsy skirts. "Something that doesn't call attention to us."

As they spent more time looking over the clothes, Daria found a long, dark brown leather jacket and put it on. The jacket went down to about six inches from her ankles and she looked at Jane. "This might come in handy," she said. "How does it look on me?"

Jane looked her over, from the eyepatch to the long, opened jacket and a smile formed on her face. She walked over to a counter near the door, grabbed a box and slapped it down on the table in front of Daria. "Matches," she said. "Plain old-fashioned wooden stick matches. Never know when you need them."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Daria asked, her expression betraying her confusion.

"Aaaahh! _Escape From L.A._, Daria. You know, the movie with Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken. When they outfit Snake and give him all that fancy equipment, they also give him plain old matches."

"Oh, yeah. I remember it now. Where's my nuke-powered mini cam?"

"You'll have to wait on that. Why don't you let me see your belly? I want to see if you have a big snake tattoo that goes on down below your waistline."

"You can see what it feels like to have my boot kick your ass."

Jane laughed. "Yeah, you're definitely Daria. Or should I call you Snake Morgendorffer?"

"What does that make you? Cuervo Lane?"

"Works for me." She looked at the clock. "It's almost 9:00. Shouldn't someone be here by now if they have Sunday school at 9:15?"

"You would think so." Daria sighed as she thought. "Let's go back to the office and see what the preacher had written on his schedule, or even if he has one."

In the office, Daria searched the calendar on the desk, while Jane looked over the bulletin board next to a book/video storage case. "Daria? I just found a video tape made last Sunday."

"Last Sunday? Let's check it out."

Jane turned on both TV and VCR and inserted the tape. As it rewound, she said, "Maybe the war scared them into staying at home."

"Perhaps." The tape stopped rewinding and Daria pushed the remote control's play button. For the next several minutes, they listened to a tall, thin woman with short ash-brown hair as she prayed and led the congregation in a hymn.

"Now for the announcements," the woman said.

"Pastor Marion, don't forget next Saturday," a man's voice called out from the congregation.

"That woman's the preacher," Jane said and Daria nodded.

"You're right, Calvin," the female preacher replied. "Next Saturday morning, we'll meet in the parking lot and leave by 8 a.m. sharp for our trip to our nation's capital. Our goal is to be at the Lincoln Memorial by 11 a.m. and then after a picnic lunch, we'll see the Washington Memorial and then the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and head back here. Since all of us are going, except for our ill and our shut-ins, it should be a blessing for all. Now, let's have the children's story time. All the children come up to the front." The tape showed between 15 and 20 children, some just barely toddlers, going to the front of the sanctuary and sitting on the floor as the preacher sat down with them and told them about the history of the church in the early years of America.

Daria stared at the TV and blinked. "Oh, my God," she said and looked at Jane. Tears had formed in her friend's eyes. The image of one toddler, who had red hair and resembled Quinn at that age, came to her mind. She closed her right eye and felt her own tears form.

On the tape, the preacher finished the story and said a prayer for the sermon, those on the prayer list and their trip to Washington.

The tape stopped suddenly in mid-prayer and Daria looked to see Jane push the remote buttons stopping the VCR and turning off the power to both it and the TV.

"It was just after 11 when we were at the mini-mart yesterday, Daria," Jane said quietly as tears ran down her cheeks.

"I know."

"Why am we crying for strangers we've never met when there are probably tens of millions dead from the bombs?" Jane asked and wiped her eyes. "I don't even know if Trent is still alive and you don't know about your folks either and we're crying for strangers. Why are we crying?"

"We just made them real to us," Daria said and swallowed hard. "Whatever happened, I just pray that it was fast and painless for them. Especially those little children."

Jane covered her face with her hands and broke down. Daria walked back to the pantry and began folding the clothes they selected and packed them in the bookbags. She could hear Jane sobbing as she worked. Quietly, she took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Daria walked back to the office and sat the bookbags on the desk as Jane wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "Jane, when we leave, maybe we should take anything we can possibly use, and not just the clothes. All the food, for instance--"

"Especially the Ultra Cola," Jane interrupted her. "We can't abandon any caffeine to be neglected. That would just be wrong, evil and totally uncivilized."

Daria smiled at her and said, "Too bad we didn't have an IV set up for you to get your Ultra Cola that way."

"Is that so wrong? What can I say? I just need my caffeine." Jane then gave her a weak smile. "It's not working, Daria. I can't get them out of my mind."

Daria sighed. "Neither can I. But we can't do any more for them now except mourn and we've already done that. What we have now is a responsibility to ourselves. Now, as I was saying, we take all the non-perishable food we can, all the blankets and anything we need that isn't nailed down. Toilet paper, Kleenex, soap, towels, washcloths. Too bad this place didn't also have a food or soap pantry as well. There's so much health and hygiene items we need that they don't have. Especially medicines." She looked over Jane's head. "Didn't they have disposable diapers?"

"Is there something you haven't told me yet?" Jane asked, a smile breaking out on her face. "Did Trent give you a little 'gift'?"

"Lane, I still have my boots on and I do kick hard. Keep it up and you'll find that out personally. As I was getting ready to say, we also need bandages, not just the ones for little cuts, but big ones for really bad injuries, like they used on _MASH_. Until we get some, 'clean' disposable diapers will make a reasonable substitute."

Jane grimaced at the thought. "Would they even be sterile?"

Daria shook her head. "No. But if you don't have sterile bandages, then sanitary ones are your next goal. After that, just plain clean would have to do. Then after that, if you get injured, I'll be forced to use your dirty socks and underwear."

"As long as you don't use yours, Morgendorffer. I want a chance to survive." The two smiled at each other and Jane continued, "They had several packs of diapers, as well as rubbing alcohol and pain reliever that hasn't expired yet," Jane said.

"That's still just scratching the surface," Daria replied. "We vitally need potassium iodide, not to mention any good sport drinks, cold and allergy medicines, and anti-bacterial ointment."

"The sport drinks I understand, but why potassium io-whatever? What is it?"

Daria leaned against the office wall and said, "Potassium iodide. Basically, it's a salt used in radiation treatment. It protects the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine, especially in light of a recent nuclear attack. It also has uses in photography and in the making of cough syrups."

"How do you know this?"

Daria sighed and looked up. "I always believed that there was uranium in the drinking water at Highland when I lived there. I researched what I could, especially effective preventative treatments for radiation sickness." She then looked at Jane. "Given the closeness of Three Mile Island to Maryland, I'm surprised that potassium iodide wouldn't be commonplace here."

"Maybe it was when that accident happened. I wasn't around then and Mom and Dad never said anything about it." Jane stood up quickly. "Wait a minute. They have iodine here. Could we use that instead? Or would table salt help us out there?"

Daria shook her head. "Regular iodine is poisonous to consume and table salt doesn't have enough potassium iodide in it to help." She stretched and coughed briefly. "Then, there's our weapon situation."

Jane pulled the pistols out and laid them on the desk. "When you were asleep, I checked out how many bullets we have," she said. "We have half a box of .357 Magnum shells, plus two still in the pistol itself, while the .38 caliber has four shells period. We use them up and that's it. Oh, and we have one switchblade."

For several seconds there was silence, then Daria laughed hard and sat down on the couch beside Jane. "I said yesterday that a pistol would give us some security. I still believe that, but we need even more than that. More bullets for the pistols, a couple of shotguns and shells for them. Suppose that there are no emergency shelters or that there is no room in ones that exist. We'll be totally on our own." She sighed. "Most of the people we run into may be nice and helpful. I think what happened with those two yahoos and Carter was just bad luck and Murphy's Law. But if the government doesn't keep or restore somewhat normal order, then we'll end up meeting more men like them." She covered her eyes and sighed again. "We may not be quite so lucky next time."

Jane touched Daria's right shoulder gently and said, "Then we need to be extra careful. You watch my back and I'll watch yours."

Daria gave Jane a sideways glance. "As long as you watch my back and not my butt."

Jane smiled. "Spoilsport."

They laughed together.

**oooooooooo**

Outside, Daria pushed the last box in the back seat and asked, "Is that everything? I wish I had made up a list before we came out here. We'll have to do that or we'll lose track of what we have."

"I think so, Daria. It's almost one. Let's make tracks." She got behind the wheel and Daria got in the passenger seat. She started the car and revved up the engine. Then she put the car in drive and accelerated out of the parking lot and back onto the road.

"You got the toilet paper, didn't you, Jane?"

"No, you did."

"No, I didn't. You were supposed to."

Jane slammed on the brakes and put the car into reverse. "_Amiga_," she said as she backed the car up to the church and parked it. "That's dangerous to do. If I had to use leaves, I would become violent and anti-social."

"I see you've already used leaves before."

"Statistics show that sarcastic friends would be the first to die in such a rampage. I do not want to ever use leaves. See, there are three things that are vital to life itself. Caffeine, pizza and toilet paper. Everything else is just secondary."

Daria held up a canister of potato crisps. "These are pizza-flavored. I found them in a cabinet in the kitchen."

"Not good enough, Morgendorffer," Jane said and waggled her right index finger at her. "But they have my name on them. Hand them over." 

Daria pulled them to her chest. "Do I know you?"

Jane smiled. "You're about to find out. I'll hold and protect them and the car while you go inside and get all the toilet paper."

Daria got out of the car. "There better be some left when I get back." 

"I'll save you some crumbs, Daria."

It took Daria nearly two minutes to come back to the car with two plastic shopping bags filled with toilet paper. She tossed it in the back with the other supplies and took the canister from Jane. It was half-full with potato crisps and Jane simply grinned at her sloppily as she chewed on her food. Daria rolled her eyes and muttered, "You're hopeless, Jane."

Jane pulled back out on the road and drove back to the highway.

The atmosphere of the area seemed to change from the day before, Jane noticed. She saw that most of the houses they passed either seemed quickly evacuated or somewhat blocked off by vehicles or debris in the driveway. At no time did they see people at any of the houses.

Daria suddenly said, "Is it just me or does things seem...off out here?"

"I noticed that," Jane replied. "It wasn't like this yesterday when we came through."

Daria looked up at the sky. "The skies are gray and the look of those clouds isn't very good."

"That's not it. It feels like...we're being watched when we get near some of the houses."

"We probably are." Daria leaned back in the car seat. "Most of those who stayed at their houses are probably scared and seeing an unfamiliar car doesn't help the situation." She then looked out the back window and gasped. "We have a new problem, Jane."

"I don't see anything, Daria," Jane replied as she looked out the rearview mirror.

"'Anything' being the operative word here."

Jane looked again and muttered, "Oh, boy." Louder, she said, "Snow?"

"Try 'blizzard' and you'll be closer to getting a prize."

"Shit!" Jane sped up and asked, "Is it...could it be radioactive?"

Daria nodded. "It's possible. We have no way to tell." She laughed briefly and nervously. "Make that four things that are vital in life. Caffeine, pizza, toilet paper and Geiger counters."

"Maybe we should stop at the house up ahead," Jane said. "It's not blocked off and it doesn't look evacuated either. Maybe they'll shelter us until the snow passes."

Daria looked at the home carefully and said, "The front door looks like it's partially open. Maybe it's empty, but then again, maybe it's not. Might as well check it out."

Jane pulled into the driveway, parked and turned off the car. They got out, each with their hands on a weapon and carefully advanced on the porch. "I don't think anyone's here," she said quietly.

"We'll see," Daria replied and lightly knocked on a storm door.

"No one's answering," Jane said and squinted to see better through the window.

Daria looked at the approaching storm, shivered in her uncertainty and finally said, "We might as well check it out. It's better than nothing."

They slowly entered through the front door, with their pistols now drawn and cocked. They stood on what had once been a porch years before, but was now an entryway into the house. The sound of static came from a TV set in the living room and Daria saw a man sitting in a recliner in front of the TV. "Hey!" she called out. "Mister!"

Jane looked around, lifted the pistol and moved closer to the recliner. She looked at the man and let out a deep sigh. "He can't hear you, Daria," she said softly and carefully released the pistol's hammer.

Daria did the same with her pistol and walked up to where Jane was. She saw the frozen, pain-filled expression on the man's face and his glassy-looking eyes and the right hand clawed at his chest. For a second, she froze in shock, then looked the scene over a little more. He was heavyset, appeared to be in his sixties and was dressed in a sweat suit. A bag of potato chips and a six pack of beer sat on a table at his side; one can was opened and apparently partially drunk from. His left hand held a remote control. "I'd say he died of a heart attack," she said. "Probably getting ready to watch a ball game when the bombs went off. He must have been alone when it happened."

"Pretty damn quick for a heart attack," Jane commented. "He never even dropped his remote."

"Sometimes they are. I know of one guy in Texas who just closed his eyes and died in his kitchen chair. Didn't even fall over."

Jane shivered at the thought of that and said, "I'm going to check out the rest of the house. Keep an eye on him."

"Oh? Do you expect him to go somewhere?"

Jane stopped and smacked her head. "O.K., smart ass, that didn't come out right. But the snow's almost here. If we're going to stay here awhile, then we'll have to get him out of the house or he'll be stinking within the next day or so." She left the room.

Daria moved away from the body and turned off the TV. A part of her wanted to bolt from the room and the other part wanted to toss his body outside. She felt ashamed at thinking that, looked down and said, "I'm sorry about what happened to you, but your house will protect us. So I guess I thank you as well."

A minute later, Jane came back in the living room and put the Colt back in its holster. "Are you two having a good conversation?" she asked. 

"I was just thanking him for...oh, never mind. What did you find?"

"He lived alone, but had a wife at one time. A couple of the rooms still had a woman's touch to them. She probably died sometime back." She motioned towards his body. "We might as well get him out of here."

"Where are we going to put him? Every place I think of seems so wrong. Just being here with him feels so wrong."

Jane put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Yeah, I know. But it can't be helped. He's dead and we can't help him, so we have to help ourselves, like you said at the church. So, let's just put him outside on the back porch."

Daria pocketed the .38 and the two of them pulled the man onto the floor with the aid of the recliner's slipcover. His body was still partially rigid; the hand retained its claw-like position, and the legs stayed bent. The head lolled around slightly as the body was moved, but the eyes remained open. The girls drug him through the kitchen door and onto the back porch.

As they went back inside, Daria stopped and looked at the man's body. "This reminds me of that scene from the remake of _Night of the Living Dead_, when they drag the fat zombie outside." She looked around the yard quickly, shivered and turned away from the door.

"Yeah, but we're not dealing with zombies," Jane replied as she shut and locked the door. "He wasn't that fat either."

"He was heavy enough."

Jane looked at Daria and pulled the car keys out of her pocket. "I'm going to check out the garage and see if we can put the car in it. That way, if the snow is hot, then at least it won't get on the car."

"Good idea," Daria said and nodded. "I'll see about what there is to eat here." She stopped and blinked. "Jane, what we just said sounds so wrong on so many levels."

"This stuff won't help him anymore, Daria. He's dead, just as dead as all those church members are."

"It's just going to take a little getting used to." She laughed, lifted her glasses and eyepatch and rubbed her eyes. "So I guess we're looters now."

Jane nodded. "Something I heard in a movie once went like 'we're thieves and we're bad guys, that's exactly what we are.'" She held up the Magnum. "We'd better be damn tough ones. But our motives are better than others."

"Are you so sure of that?"

"Of course. We're dealing with our survival. We aren't going to hurt anybody who doesn't try to hurt us first. Others can't say that." She looked over the pistol. "I never shot anybody before yesterday. I know it's odd, but I can't say that his death bothers me at all. It was like stepping on a cockroach."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Jane, because I still think of his wife and family alone in New Jersey, waiting for him to come home and be with them."

"They're better off without him. Hopefully, she thinks he died in Philadelphia. Then she can find a better guy to take care of her and her kids." She stepped out the front door.

Daria nodded and opened the freezer door, then smiled. There were three frozen pizzas inside, as well as French fries and ice cream. "Bingo," she said and pulled the pizza and fries out.

**oooooooooo**

Ten minutes later, Jane came back inside and locked the door. "Hey, we're may be in luck!"

"Why's that, Jane?"

"There's an SUV in the garage, with a nearly full gas tank. I put all our stuff in it and locked up the garage." She sniffed the air. "You're fixing something, but I can't tell what it is yet."

"French fries," Daria said. "After they're done, then I'll bake us some frozen pizzas."

"Pizzas! What kind?"

"Pepperoni, combination and a spinach mushroom."

Jane made a face. "That last one doesn't sound too good, but I'll try it. Hey, it's pizza."

"I was going to fix all three anyway," Daria pointed out. "We may lose power at any time."

"This area may get its power from a nuke power plant. I'm fairly certain that Lawndale did as well."

"Yeah, and knowing that just comforts the hell out of me. Not only do we have to deal with fallout from nuke bombs, we may have to deal with more and more nuke waste when the power plant's reactor core finally melts down."

"So we'll glow in the dark, Morgendorffer." Jane laughed. "Admit it. Nuke power or not, you still enjoy having electricity, don't you? It makes life just a little easier. Besides, we could always be cooking our meals outside at an open pit. Imagine what fun that would be in the snow. We still may end up doing just that. Or we could be dead within the next week. Who knows?"

"Jane, what if our...what if Trent and my family are all dead?" Daria asked, her voice fearful. "What do we do then?"

Jane stopped, looked at Daria silently, then turned away. "I don't want to think about that," she said.

"But there's a possibility that--"

"I said I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT!" Jane yelled and glared at her. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "I'm sorry, Daria, but I can't talk to you about that. Part of the reason I cried about those children from the church was because I also thought about Trent. He...he can't be dead. He's been the one relative who's always been there for me, even if he was asleep through most of it." She wiped her eyes. "He can't be dead. Your family can't be dead, either. They can't be. They just can't be. We just have to find all of them." She laid the front of her head against the freezer door. "We just have to find them."

Daria's face was red from Jane's sudden burst of emotion. "I'm sorry," she said quietly and moved behind her.. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Jane turned and put her head in Daria's shoulder and they wrapped their arms around each other. They stood there in silence for more than five minutes, then broke the embrace to look at each other. Both of their faces were tear streaked. Jane looked away, cleared her throat and said, "I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back." She walked out of the kitchen.

Daria checked the time on the fries and wiped her eyes with her hands. She heard a spattering sound from outside and looked outside to see snow coming down heavy and wet.

**oooooooooo**

After dinner, the two girls double checked the locks and kept off the lights except in the living room. In there, they stapled blankets over the windows and turned up the heat. But the real surprise came when Jane found several different firearms in a gun rack located inside a closet. She carried several into the living room to show Daria.

As Daria looked over the newfound guns, she also searched the TV channels for news, but there were no stations broadcasting, at least none that the TV could pick up. "Not bad, Jane," she said. "It looks like we're covered when it comes to firearms."

Jane smiled. "We're better off, at least."

Daria picked up a double-barrelled .12-gauge shotgun. "Kinda heavy to lug around," she said, "but I'll get used to it. The strap on it helps."

"What if it kicks?" Jane asked as she picked up a .22-caliber single shot rifle. "This might be closer to your speed."

"Nah. I kick, too, so it fits my personality. What about that bigger shotgun?"

"It's a .10-gauge." She looked it over. "I think it's an antique. It's certainly not new. There were only five or six shells for it upstairs."

"We can still use it, Jane, or trade it later on for something else we need. Oh, I almost forgot the radio." Daria laid the shotgun down and turned on a radio that she had found earlier. She searched for the same station they had listened to before. Suddenly, they heard the familiar voice of the president as he spoke to the nation, "...ask you to pray for our nation, to be patient in this time of trial and to help one another as best you can. It has been said that America shows its greatest strength in its times of adversity. So may this time be our time of greatest strength..." The station squealed and went out. Daria tried for nearly a half hour to get the station back and finally gave up.

"Damn!" she said and exhaled loudly. "The only thing we were able to find out was that the president is still alive."

"We still have a government," Jane said.

"That brings up my next question," Daria said. "Suppose we get to a shelter and they take our guns away from us? What do we do then? I don't plan on staying in a shelter the rest of my life. We'll have to leave some time and those weapons will still be needed in a lot of areas."

Jane thought on it for several seconds, lightly touched her nose and then said, "Maybe we shouldn't go to a shelter. My nose is just tender and not broken as far as I can tell and your eye looked like it was healing."

"We still need to check out shelters," Daria said, "to see if our families are there. Here's my idea. We stop at one of the shelters at Cumberland to get any food and more importantly, potassium iodide, they may give us. We still try to get a doctor to check us out to be safe. Maybe we can get more news than we've gotten so far. Now I doubt that Trent or my family will come that far. Maybe they'll go to Westminster or even Frederick or somewhere around there. Maybe even somewhere in Pennsylvania, but I really don't know for sure. I know they won't go to Annapolis or the other side of Chesapeake Bay, however."

"Why not there?"

"Fallout from Washington."

"Oh."

"Before we leave here, we need to take anything of value that can help us survive."

The two sat on the couch and started making out lists. On the wall behind them, a clock struck ten in soft chime-like tones.

**oooooooooo**

Outside on the road in front of the house, a car slowed in the raging snow. Inside sat three men in their late twenties or early thirties, looking at the house. All three were dressed in winter wear and looked at the house with unfriendly interest. The front passenger smacked his left palm with his fist and said, "I've been waiting for a chance to get that old bastard for getting all of us fired before Christmas. Now's our chance."

"What if he ain't alone?" the man in the backseat said. "I heard he had a daughter in Virginia. She and her family might be with him now."

The driver pulled an automatic pistol out of his coat, looked at it and said, "It doesn't matter. We'll take care of his guests first so that he can watch them die. Then we'll finish him off." He pulled the car into the driveway slowly.


	7. Chapter 7

The three men got out of the car and pulled hoods or hats onto their heads. The driver looked up at the sky, noticed that the snow tapered off to a just a few flakes here and there. He asked one man, "Bill, where's your pistol?"

The man called Bill smacked his fist into his palm again and did it several more times. "I don't need my pistol, John," he said. "I just want to beat old man Cord to death. Listen to him cry out each time I hit him. I want to make him beg me to stop."

"Have it with you, in case we need it to get in the house," John said. "After we get in, then you can get your jollies beating on Cord or on his daughter, if she's in there." He turned towards the third man. "How about you, Harry? You ready?"

The third man held up an axe and smiled. "I'm ready to get it on," he said and licked his lips.

John shuddered and turned away from him. "Nuts," he whispered and released his pistol's safety. "O.K., Harry, go around to the back door and wait. If they try to run out, stop them. I'll yell for you if we manage to get in the front door." As Harry moved towards the back, John looked at the house and muttered, "Paybacks are a real bitch, Cord." Then he said to Bill, "Let's get the bastard."

**oooooooooo**

Inside the living room, Jane opened the .10 gauge shotgun's breach and looked down the barrel. "As far as I can tell, it's clean," she said.

"Is there any blockage?" Daria asked.

"No. Why is that important? Wouldn't the shot force anything out the end?"

Daria smiled and shook her head. "When I was 13 in Highland, an older kid used his shotgun as a crutch in the dirt." She shook her head again. "It was some dumb game to him. He kept pushing the barrel in the dirt and thought nothing of it. Until he shot it."

"What happened?"

"The end of the barrel ripped apart and the shotgun backfired into his face."

"Ouch." Jane grimaced at the thought.

"He would've been king of the morons--had he survived. It was strange. Guns were so plentiful and common in Texas, that even the dumb ones knew better than to do that. But he did it anyway."

Jane stood up. "I'll go back to his room and look for a cleaning kit or cleaning supplies."

"Better wait until morning," Daria said and stopped her with her right hand. "The less lights we use tonight, the better off we'll be."

**oooooooooo**

Harry ran to the front where John and Bill were several yards from the porch. "John! Bill! Wait a minute!"

John stopped and asked, "What is it?"

"I just found Cord's body on the back porch. He's dead!"

There was silence for several seconds, then Bill asked, "Did someone kill him?"

Harry shook his head. "I think he had a heart attack. What if it ain't his daughter inside? I don't think she'd leave his body like _that_. What if there are strangers in there?"

John blinked and looked at the house. After a few seconds, he said, "Cord had money, guns and a new SUV. We are taking them all. We go in and take what we want anyway."

"I hope there's some girls in there," Bill said and smacked his palm. "I need someone to punch around awhile."

**oooooooooo**

"Jane!" Daria said quickly and held up her right hand.

"What is it?"

"Someone's outside! I heard a voice. A man's voice."

Jane put a shell in the .10 gauge. "Remember what I said earlier. We have to be tough."

Daria picked up the .357 and both girls moved together to the entryway and stopped. "I don't feel tough," she said.

"Which would you rather be?" Jane asked and looked at her. "Scared, yet tough, or raped and beaten half to death? I'll choose tough and scared any day of the week."

"Point made, Lane."

**oooooooooo**

"I feel cheated, though," Bill said. "I really wanted to give Cord a long, bad night."

"So did I," John said. "I wanted to shoot his kneecaps out." He looked at Harry. "I don't want to know what you had planned."

Harry kissed the axe blade and laughed.

**oooooooooo**

"You heard that?" Daria asked in a stage whisper. "They wanted to kill that old man."

"Must have pissed them off sometime before...Saturday," Jane commented. "Let's go outside and try to diffuse this." She cocked the .10 gauge.

"Jane, they just might shoot or kill us."

Jane blinked and looked with determination at the front door. "Not yet they won't."

"How do you know?"

Jane then looked at Daria with a sad expression on her face. "They won't kill us until they either screw us till we're unhinged or...torture us till we're ready to die." She hefted the shotgun in her hands. "This is my way of saying 'No, you won't.' Put on your jacket. Hold the .357 under your jacket, but keep it cocked and ready to shoot. Don't let them see it yet. I have a plan. Let me do the talking and just stand there until I need you."

"How will I know when that is?" Daria asked as she put back on the jacket.

"You'll know. I'll shoot the first one who rushes at us. You go for the second one. We'll work it out from there." She turned on the porch light and stepped out on the porch, followed closely by Daria.

The men froze briefly at the sight of the two teen girls on the porch. John looked at the shotgun in Jane's hands and kept his pistol down. "Ladies, we came to check on Cord, but Harry found his body on the back porch."

"He was dead when we got here," Jane said. "We needed shelter from the snow."

"He was a friend of ours," John added, "and you two are obviously squatters on his property. If you leave now, we won't call the cops on you."

"Are you going to tell the cops why you planned to beat him to death?" Jane asked, a smirk on her face. "Why don't you go ahead and call them? Phone line didn't work the last time we checked it."

"You're a little bit of a smart ass, ain'tcha?" Bill said, smacked his palm with a fist and moved a few feet closer to the porch. "I'll cure you of that."

Jane suddenly lifted the shotgun barrel to aim at Bill's chest and he stopped. "I'd say the same to you, but you aren't smart," she said.

Daria felt her right hand start to shake and held it to her belly to steady it.

John started to speak, but Bill cut him off with a chop of his right arm. "I never knew a bitch who could shoot a gun for shit!" He rushed at Jane.

Jane pulled the trigger and the force of the shot hit Bill in the chest and knocked him back into the yard.

John lifted his pistol and said, "Looks like you're unloaded, dear. Bill was an loudmouthed idiot, but he was still our friend. You two are going to pay dearly for that one. Hands up!"

Daria pushed the pistol barrel out of her coat and aimed it at John. "I think not," she said and fired.

The bullet hit John's belly and he doubled over with a cry of pain. At the same time, he pulled the trigger to his pistol and the bullet hit Jane's right arm just below her elbow. She yelled out, dropped the shotgun and gripped her arm where the bullet hit.

As John collapsed face down in the yard, Daria turned to Harry who still held the axe in his hands and froze his movements. "Normally, I would be merciful," she said as she cocked the pistol again. "This isn't personal."

"NO! Please, don't shoot me!"

"If I said 'please, stop' during my rape, would you stop?" Daria shook her head. "I doubt it." She pulled the trigger and the shot hit him dead center of his chest. Instead of crying out, he stared at the injury as he moaned and fell onto his back. The axe remained in his hands as his head fell back and he closed his eyes.

"Damn!" Jane said and groaned. Blood seeped out between her fingers and dripped onto the porch floor. She wavered on her feet and moved back against the brickwork near the front door.

Daria watched the men's bodies warily as she moved to Jane and asked, "How bad is it?"

"It's bleeding real good," she replied and sat down hard. "I think he only grazed me, but damn, it hurts!"

Daria pulled Jane's hand away, gave it a quick glance and said, "At least there isn't a bullet lodged in your arm. Thank God. Wait a second." She looked briefly at the men's bodies and went back inside. She came back out with a washcloth and pulled Jane's hand off the wound. She folded the cloth quickly, applied it to the wound and wrapped a shoelace around the arm. She tied a knot directly over the wound and tightened it.

"Ow!" Jane said.

"Sorry."

Jane looked at it and said, "It's still bleeding, Daria."

Daria held up a second shoelace. "I'm prepared for that," she said and wrapped it around her arm as well. She tied the know an inch from the other knot and glanced at the men's bodies again. Then she looked at the bandage and said, "Looks like it's working. Let's get you inside."

"What about them?" Jane asked as Daria helped her to her feet and led her in.

"I'll come back out and get their guns and that axe. But we've been outside enough. We need to get you inside where it's warm. But I'll try to move their bodies when I can. I'm not exactly Superwoman here so I may not accomplish much. But I'll try." She sat Jane on the couch and said, "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Daria went back outside and looked at Jane's blood on the porch floor. _I'll have to wipe all that up_, she thought as she picked up the shotgun. Then she moved out into the yard and was thankful that it had stopped snowing for the time being. She grabbed the weapons and carried them inside the house. As she laid them on the living room floor, she looked at Jane, who looked pained and tired. "How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I've had better days."

Daria gave her a small smile. "I can imagine. I'm going to see if I can move their bodies."

Outside, Daria tried without success to pull the men by their arms. Instead, she settled for rolling their bodies towards a bush where they were at least out of sight of the road. She started to walk off, then as an afterthought, checked their pockets. The leader had extra shells for his pistol in his coat pockets and a wallet and keys, while the one Jane had shot had a small automatic pistol in his pocket and the other had nothing except his wallet on him. She took all of it inside with her and laid it on a coffee table near Jane. "Any problems?" she asked.

Jane gave her a very weak smile. "My arm's numb below the bandage. I can't feel anything."

Daria frowned and moved up to her. "Uh, oh, I must have cut off your circulation." She quickly untied the shoelaces and said, "Hold that there while the circulation comes back. I have a little more to do and we'll see what else I can try."

She grabbed another washcloth, wet it down and went back out onto the porch. As she wiped Jane's blood off the concrete, she saw a snowflake land near her hand and looked up. The snow was back. She sighed, went back inside and locked the door.

Back inside the living room, Daria checked on Jane and removed the washcloth bandage. The wound started bleeding again and Daria pressed down on it, then thought about it. "Outside of a pressure bandage, the only things I know that will help you is sewing you up or cauterizing you."

"O.K., then," Jane said. "Sew me up." Her forehead was now covered with sweat and she shivered slightly.

Daria blinked several times and looked at Jane with her mouth open. She covered her wounded friend with a comforter and said, "I've never done anything like that before. Not only that, but there's nothing here that we can do it with. We don't even have plastic gloves."

"Then, Daria, we'll have to make do with what we have. Set up what you think we'll need and let's get it done."

Daria got up from the couch and moved quickly. She stood a TV tray near Jane, got a soup bowl from the kitchen and hunted through the house for string, sewing needles, a small pair of scissors, tweezers and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Then she moved to Jane and uncovered her arm again.

Jane sighed and closed her eyes in anticipation.

"I...I can't do this," Daria said as she stopped and looked at the wound.

"You have to!" Jane said and looked at her quickly. "Neither of us can hold the washcloth on all the time and tying it off enough to stop the bleeding also makes my arm numb."

"There's no anesthetic, dammit! It's going to hurt like hell!"

Jane gave her a weak laugh and smiled briefly. "It already does, Daria. It already does. Please, remember what I said about us being 'damn tough bad guys'. It's time for us to live up to that statement."

Daria poured some rubbing alcohol in the bowl and laid several cut off pieces of string, two needles, the tweezers and a small pair of scissors in it. "This is the wrong kind of string," she said quickly, her voice shaking. "I don't know how to suture. Shit, I could be infecting you big time here."

Jane still smiled. "I have faith in you. Besides, I'd rather you do this than cauterize me."

Daria turned to Jane and said, "Understand this. Nothing we are using here is sterile. There is no...sterile field to work within, plus the needles and string come from sewing gear that probably hasn't been used for years. You _will_ have a scar from my work. I just don't want to mess you up or kill you."

Jane took her right hand and grabbed Daria by the chin. "I. Have. Faith. In. You. Just do it, please?"

There was several seconds of silence, then Daria cleared her throat, stood up and nodded. "I'm going to do my best imitation of a surgical scrub. Just hold that on for several more minutes. I'll be back to do this."

Slightly more than 10 minutes later, Daria returned, poured alcohol on another washcloth and had Jane bare her arm again. She quickly wiped the wound with the cloth and noticed Jane's grimace of pain. "Sorry about that," she said.

"_De nada, mi amiga_," Jane said. "_De nada_." She clenched her teeth tightly.

Daria pulled a needle from the bowl of alcohol, fed a string through the eye and tied it off. She moved her right eye closer to Jane's arm, took a deep breath and started sewing her up. Jane looked away, bit her lower lip and closed her eyes tightly as the needle went into her arm.

For more than two minutes, Daria sewed Jane's wound, careful to pull the skin together, but not too tightly. She made no small talk and tried to keep calm and collected. She still shivered slightly as she worked and her chin quivered occasionally. Finally she took the scissors, cut off the string and worked on tying it off.

"Daria?" Jane asked and sighed loudly after the string was tied off. She glanced at Daria's handiwork. Her face was coated in perspiration and her hair was wet with it.

"What?" Daria said and wiped off the blood carefully and bit her lip when Jane grimaced in pain.

"Don't use my dirty underwear as a bandage, O.K.? I haven't changed since Friday night."

Daria blinked twice, looked at Jane and said, "TMI, Lane, TMI. I did not need to know _that_." She smiled and added, "I noticed that the guy had a washing machine and since there is still power and running water...maybe we can take care of that problem."

"Since when have you done laundry?"

"Since never. But I can learn and it beats scrubbing them on a rock." Daria inspected the sutured wound and applied a dab of anti-bacterial ointment. "Well, Jane, I have good news. You don't need a diaper, but if you happen to want one anyway while I wash your underwear, well, that's _your_ business."

"Daria, let me know when you say something funny so I can laugh."

Daria smiled and applied a three-inch square bandage and taped it on the wound. She signed in relief and said to Jane in a monotone, "That'll be 300 bucks. Please pay the receptionist on your way out the door."

"You said that you were a painless doctor," Jane played along and complained. "That hurt the whole time you did it."

"It was painless," Daria replied. "I didn't hurt at all when I stitched you." She coughed. "If you want to cover up while I wash your clothes, feel free. I found an old granny gown I'll use while I wash _my _underwear." She sighed. "Pity we didn't find any panties at the church."

"Maybe we can trade some of that man's medicines for panties. They still have several months until they reach their expiration dates."

"Why don't you take a nap after you give me your clothes?" Daria said. "I'll wash and dry our stuff, then it'll be my turn to get a little rest." She laughed briefly and shook her head. "I should have had you lay down while I sewed you up. You could have fainted."

"I'm made of sturdier stuff than that." Jane stripped off her clothes and grimaced in pain when her shirt hit the bandage. When she was naked, she handed Daria the clothes and laid on the couch.

"I'm not," Daria said and spread a blanket over her. "You were calmer than I was. Go to sleep, Jane. I'm too worked up, so I'll be up awhile. I'll take care of the laundry situation and you just rest."

Jane yawned and snuggled under the blanket. "Daria, one nice thing about a refugee shelter would be the chance for both of us to sleep at the same time."

"Maybe if we can find a secure one, with lockable rooms. Otherwise, another refugee could clean us out in no time. And I really don't want to kill another person if I can help it. It's getting to be a habit that I don't want."

Jane's response was to start snoring.

Daria smiled at her friend and lightly stroked her hair. "Sleep well, _amiga_," she said and lightly kissed Jane's forehead.


	8. Chapter 8

As Jane slept, Daria checked all the window and door locks once again. The only sounds she heard were the wet, splattering sound of the snow as it hit the window panes and the wind. Unless you counted, of course, the loud snoring coming from the living room couch. She walked in the bathroom, quickly stripped and put on a flannel gown that reached to the floor. _His wife must have been a tall woman_, she thought and sighed. _As long as I don't trip on it, I'll be happy_.

Quietly, she gathered both her clothes and Jane's and took them to a small utility room near the back door. She laid the clothes on top of the washer and glanced outside briefly. In the dim light available, she saw the homeowner's body, which was lightly covered with snow. _We'll have to bury him. We just can't leave him like that when we leave here. We owe him at least that much._

She turned away from the window and for the next hour, as their clothes were being washed and dried, Daria sat on a kitchen chair and thought over the events of the previous couple of hours. She looked at both of her hands and felt her chin quiver. _I've killed three men with these hands, _she thought. _What if I've killed Jane, too? What if I did something wrong? What if I cause an infection?_

The nervous tension of the encounter and her doctoring of Jane flowed out of her and she cried as she shook. As she cried, the snoring continued and the snow still hit the window panes.

**oooooooooo**

After awhile, Daria finished the laundry and laid the warm clothes on the kitchen table. She then walked to the bathroom's full-length mirror and removed the eyepatch. She saw from her reflection that she was still bloodshot, but her eyesight was normal at least. _Damned tear ducts are still working overtime, too_, she thought as she wiped her left eye. She pocketed the eyepatch and walked back to the living room.

She picked up the .357 and its holster and walked back to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, holstered the pistol and tried to buckle it around her waist, but the tightest hole on the belt still left it loose. "I need to fix that," she said to herself. "I will never go unarmed again."

The sound of Jane snoring suddenly grew louder and Daria smiled. _I have found a use for her dirty underwear. A pity that they're already washed and dried._

**oooooooooo**

As sunrise came, Jane yawned and threw the covers off herself. Daria looked away as her naked friend stood and stretched. "Have you taken a shower, Daria?" she asked. "I know I need one."

"Not yet."

"What the hell have you been doing while I was healing?"

"You mean snoring, Lane. A couple of bears came around, but they heard you snore and it scared them off."

"I don't snore that bad."

Daria turned to Jane and looked up at her face. "I had to wear ear plugs. You were up to at least 88 decibels. I had to put on some 70s metal to counter the effects. There wasn't any modern alternative music here."

Jane laughed and shook her head. "You have to sleep sometime, Morgendorffer. I'll record the sounds of your snoring, or better yet, I'll record your farts for the historical record. In fact, remind me not to feed you beans." She looked closer at Daria's face and added, "I see you took off the eyepatch. How's your sight?"

"My eyesight is as normal as it ever was. I can't seem to shut off the tears, however."

"Maybe I should call you faucet-face. What all did you do while I was out?"

Daria raised her eyes and sighed. "To answer your question, I fixed this holster," she patted the holster on her waist, "because it was loose on me, then I searched the late Mr. Robert Cord's bedroom. I found cleaning kits for each of his guns. Not only that, but I found several unopened packs of toothbrushes. I also found plenty of sweats, T-shirts and underwear."

"The T-shirts I can see, but not the sweats and underwear."

Daria smiled and shrugged. "We may never find any panties out there, or at least have to wait months to get anymore. We can, however, sew up his underwear somewhat so that it'll stay up on us. The sweats can be worn as a part of layered clothing, especially on cold days. Especially if we lose power while it's snowing. Now, to continue, I washed our clothes and inventoried the food in the house. He apparently liked to have a few weeks of supplies on hand. We're set for food that long, or at least as long as the power doesn't go off. I also found out that he liked whiskey. He had Old Crow, Old Grandad and Old Potrero."

"So he liked the 'old' stuff, huh? I've heard of the first two, but what's Old Potrero?"

Daria walked to the kitchen and picked up a bottle. "It's a single malt rye whiskey, made in San Francisco. Expensive stuff, if the price tag on the bottle is right. It cost him $93. If we don't drink it ourselves, his stock should have a good trade value."

"I'm not so sure we should ever get drunk, Daria," Jane said. "Based on what we've experienced so far, I think we should remain mentally alert at all times. However, a shot every once in a while shouldn't hurt us. Now talking about this reminds me that I'm thirsty. Is there any cold water?"

"Hold on a second, Jane, I have just the drink for you." Daria opened the refrigerator and pulled out a glass of a kid's flavored punch.

Jane eyed the offered drink suspiciously and asked, "What's this?"

"It's cherry and I made it just for you. Drink up and I'll get you another glass of it."

Jane gulped down the drink and then started coughing. "What the--? You put salt in it!"

Daria took the glass and filled it up again. "You're right, I did. You bled quite a bit last night and we don't have any sports drinks." She handed it to Jane. "This will help you to restore your fluids and electrolyte balance some. When you're done with that, Mr. Cord had some bananas and you need to eat at least one for the potassium in it. He didn't have any multivitamins or I'd have you take one of them too."

Jane gulped down the glass and grimaced at the salt taste. "Well, I can't argue with you," she said, "even if it tastes like crap. But I am going to shower. Do you have my clothes?"

Daria pointed at folded up pile of clothes on a chair, yawned and said, "I'm going to lay down awhile. In fact, I'm going to lay down on one of the beds. Couches get old real quick." She turned to leave the living room.

"Wait a minute, Daria. What about my bandage? Don't I have to do something to protect it before I shower?" 

Daria stopped, turned back and stroked her chin in thought. She said, "You're right. I was going to check your wound out later, but let's take a look at it now instead. If things look O.K., then you can go ahead and shower with it uncovered and when you're done, I'll put a clean bandage on it." She moved to Jane's arm, gripped the bandage and pulled it off quickly.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." Daria looked the wound over. It still looked pretty much as it did before it was bandaged. "No inflammation or other signs of infection. That's a good sign." She looked at Jane's face. "Don't scrub on it. Just let the water run over it. _I'll_ clean it after you're done in the bathroom, then cover it back up."

Jane grabbed her clothes and said, "I'll hurry," then left the room.

**oooooooooo**

After Daria fixed up Jane's arm, she took the time to brush her teeth before she laid down. She was thankful that the man had the extra toothbrushes.

After working on her teeth and gums, Daria closed her eyes and the brush hit her tongue. Suddenly, the memory of Larry Carter's mouth on hers came to the forefront of her mind; she quickly yanked the toothbrush out of her mouth and vomited into the sink.

As the nausea and dry heaves faded, she heard Jane move into the bathroom behind her. "Yuck! What happened?"

Daria took a deep breath and rinsed out her mouth three times. Then, she answered, "Got sick."

"Yeah, I can see that." Jane grimaced and covered her nose gently. "Something you ate or morning sickness?"

Daria didn't take the bait; she gripped the sink hard and took several more deep breaths. "Neither. I just...thought of that Carter...asshole's mouth on mine...his tongue in my mouth...and I blew chunks."

There was an awkward silence for several seconds, then Jane asked, "Do you need any help?"

"No. I'll clean up my mess and go on to bed. I'll be O.K."

"What brought that freak up in your mind, Daria?"

"I hit my tongue when I brushed my teeth." She rinsed her mouth out again, then dried her face on a towel. "For some reason, it brought it all back." She grimaced at the thought of it. "Brought it all back and made me sick."

"Are you bothered by what you did to him?"

"No." Daria turned to look at Jane. "I would do it again, but I've already killed three men! Before Saturday, my biggest worry was having to live in Lawndale. Now I'm wondering if I have to shoot people everywhere I go. I don't want to kill anyone else! I don't like it!"

"I'd be worried about you if you did like it, Daria." Jane put her right hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's a whole new world out there, Morgendorffer. We don't have to like it, we just have to deal with it."

"I want to go back to the old world," Daria said and laid her face in Jane's right shoulder. "I just want to be home again."

"When the snow lets up, we'll do what we can." Jane lightly patted her back. "Why don't you go to bed? Get some rest. I'll fix us some dinner for when you get up."

**oooooooooo**

When Daria woke up, she got out of bed, stretched and shuffled into the living room. She found that Jane had cleaned and oiled each of the weapons, which were laid out side by side on the floor near the couch. "You know," she said, "for two people who started out unarmed, we've seemed to gain a lot of weapons in two days."

"What did you say the man's name was?" Jane asked from the floor where she wiped the .10 gauge down with a cloth. "Robert Cord?" Daria nodded. "Well, we have him to thank for the bulk of this. He apparently loved hunting, at least he did years ago. The good news is that we now have several boxes of .38 shells, but he didn't have a .38 pistol. He did have a .357 Magnum though, like Carter did. It was loaded with .38 shells."

"Interchangeable," Daria said and nodded. "That's good. But I don't think a .357 is a hunting gun."

"It's not, Daria. I don't think any pistol is. Given that those men were after him, I'd say he had it for personal protection. He's probably had problems with them in the past. Now, we also have several boxes of .12 gauge shells and a whole case of .22 caliber shells." Jane pointed at a wooden case near the recliner. "It was pretty damned heavy, but will come in handy. Now the other rifle was a .30-06. I've never shot one before, but there are five boxes of shells for it. I wonder if it kicks?"

Daria shrugged. "I'll try it out when it stops snowing," she said. "What about Mr. Cord's other pistol?"

"It was something called a .22 Rossi. Shaped like a Derringer, but double-barreled and larger. Looks like a lady's gun. Sounds Italian, but I think it was made in Brazil." She stood up and stretched. "I found some TV dinners in the freezer, so let's heat 'em up and eat."

**oooooooooo**

Jane set the dinners on the kitchen table and said, "When I laid down earlier, I've thought of some things."

"How can you think with all that snoring?"

"Hush, you," Jane said. "Seriously, we need to critique our actions last night."

Daria handed her friend an Ultra Cola and opened one for herself. As she sat down, she asked, "Oh? Did we make some mistakes?"

"Several. To be fair, I made two bad ones. First off, we knew that those guys were up to no good. We should have simply stepped out and blew them away, instead of talking to them." She picked up a piece of chicken and bit off a portion.

"What about giving them a chance to run off?"

Jane swallowed, laughed and shook her head. "You're funny, Daria. I like that one. Think about this now. Three strong and armed men, worked up and determined to beat and kill an old man and his family, show up here. Instead, they find the man already dead and now there are two armed teen girls in the house. Suppose the girls run them off with threats. What would they do next?"

"I see your point," Daria said, took a bite of a turkey dinner and nodded as she ate. "They'd come back."

"Maybe with friends. Can you imagine running off six to ten armed men who have a different goal in mind now? Within a half hour, they'd overrun us and...we'd be lucky to die quick." Jane wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. "Promise me something."

"What?"

"If we do get overrun and I get captured, but you can get away, kill me first."

"Jane--"

"Dammit, I'm serious! I do not want to spend the last hours or days of my life being passed around and used like that. I don't want to kill myself, either." She gave Daria a weak smile. "I would do the same for you, amiga."

"But killing you..."

"...would be a mercy and an act of love. Please, Daria."

Daria blinked, took off her glasses and wiped her left eye again. "O.K. I'll do it, but we'll never be in that boat." She put back on her glasses and stared in Jane's face. "We'll watch each other's backs and protect each other."

"Thank you, Daria. You don't know what that means to me."

"What was your second point?"

Jane gave a brief laugh and said, "I should have went outside with the double-barreled .12 gauge. I was so excited that I didn't think about being unloaded until I was."

"I was there and armed as well."

"That brings me to your mistake."

"Do go on, Jane," Daria said dryly.

"Why did you even talk to that guy? We'd already started shooting, so you should have just turned to him and shot him. If he had a gun instead of that axe, he could have shot you while you were speaking."

"If he had a gun I would have just shot him," Daria said. "I don't know why I talked to him."

"As long as we learn from our mistakes and not repeat them, we'll stay alive and healthy." Jane raised her bottle and looked at it with a smile. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I don't like TV dinners much, but talking with you makes it taste better."

"I bet you say that to all the cynics."


	9. Chapter 9

The days passed slowly for Daria and Jane as the snow continued. They searched the house room by room, prepared food and packed items for either their own use later or for trade for needed things.

On Thursday morning, both girls were up and after breakfast, sitting in the living room. Jane had found a sketch pad and some pencils and amused herself with them on the couch as Daria settled down on the floor beside the large stereo radio set up in an entertainment center.

Daria slowly tuned the radio as Jane sketched her. Suddenly, the device boomed to life, as music filled the room. Both girls jumped in fright and Daria turned the volume down as she said, "I didn't realized that I had it that loud."

"It's a good thing I'm already used to sudden loud noises," Jane said and settled back into the chair. "Sounds like Led Zeppelin."

"You're right. _Kashmir_. I find it odd that there's music on, though, given the situation."

"At least it's not country," Jane said and squinted at her work. She glanced at Daria, then back at her paper, then back at Daria. "Damn." She erased a small part and re-drew over it.

As the song ended, the disc jockey came back on. "That was Led Zeppelin, with _Kashmir_, and you're listening to Dr. Neon on Pirate 97.1. If you just tuned in, you have not reached a normal commercial top 10 or top 20 radio station or one of the talk shit stations..."

"Whoa," Jane said and she and Daria looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"...you have found FREE RADIO," which was echoed as it was spoken. "If my signal seems to waver a little, please keep in mind that not only is the atmosphere slightly off, I'm using multiple transmitters to keep the FCC Nazis off my ass. That is, if they're still out there working. I'll operate as if they are. I've been doing this for the last 15 years, so I know what I'm doing.

"For those of you who slept through the events of Saturday, here's the rundown. We're at war, or at least I think we are. Details are kind of sketchy and it's hard to track down any government authority who will talk to me. I've had to lie to those I did talk to, or promise anonymity to those who knew of my 'pirate' status. I'll do my best and tell you what I know.

"I have been in touch with the Forecast Channel, which is still operating, though not back on the air in this part of the country yet. According to an unnamed meteorologist, the wind for this section of...let's just say the _state_ of Virginia/Maryland, will continue to come out of the southwest for the next three days. The snow we've been getting is not some nuclear aberration, but a simple Spring storm. It is still April out there, folks. Snowstorms can still happen this time of the year, you know. The snow will stop sometime Friday and temperatures will go back up to the 50s.

"That doesn't diminish the threat of radioactive fallout, however. If you can hear me and are between north-northeast and due east of Washington D.C. and Philadelphia and to the direct north of Norfolk, get out of the area. The same advice applies if you are within 20 miles of those cities in _any_ direction. Annapolis, Baltimore and Wilmington, Delaware and their suburbs are all under evacuation orders. Any snow falling in those areas will be radioactive, though it has had the effect of putting out many fires started by the bombings. Rescue centers are set up or are being set up for evacuees. Check with each town you get to for information on rescue centers.

"I don't know for sure what cities have been destroyed, outside the three I mentioned earlier. Pittsburgh and Jacksonville appear to be certain, as does St. Louis. New York City was bombed, but reports I've gotten have been that the most severe damage is confined to the Bronx and was not bad as that suffered as in other cities. Not that it really matters much. A nuke still devastates an area. Other reports I've gotten have said that there have been no cities bombed west of St. Louis. I don't know how accurate these reports are, though.

"That doesn't mean that this country hasn't been hurt. I can't even begin to estimate the dead, but the number is certain to be at least 10 million people. Probably many millions more in the weeks to come."

"My God," Jane whispered and Daria closed her eyes and shook her head.

"That doesn't even count the wounded." Suddenly there was a boom in the background sounds and Dr. Neon yelled out, "Oh, oh. It's the Nazis, folks." The theme music from _Hogan's Heroes _started playing as he said, "It looks like they're still on the job, after all. I'm going off the air and am escaping to my backup facilities. When you hear the commercial for Roly-Poly Jock Itch Powder, you'll know I'm back on the air. Until then, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with. But not if you're with the family dog. That's just gross."

Then the sounds of someone running and a door slamming could be heard, followed by a commanding voice that yelled, "Where is he?" Another voice said, "Captain, he's booby-trapped his equipment!" "Shit! Everyone get out! Call in the bomb squad! Out! Out! Out!" The station finally went silent and Daria turned the radio off.

"That was weird," she said.

"What do you think about what he said?" Jane asked. "All the deaths and the radioactivity?"

"The wind has mostly been out of the southwest since last Wednesday," Daria said. "Remember we noticed it when we left school and went home. I nearly lost some of my homework."

"What I remember is your skirt blowing up," Jane said as she sketched a little more. She looked back up at Daria, then sketched some more. "You would have thought that you had no panties on the way you acted. Admit it, Daria. You were really just upset that Trent wasn't there to see your "religious" underwear."

"What drug are you smoking, Lane?" Daria asked. "And what the hell is "religious" underwear?"

"'Holy' panties, Morgendorffer." Jane smiled. "Showing your goodies to the world. More specifically, to Trent."

Daria stood up and smiled at Jane. "I'll be right back, Jane. You wait right there."

"Where are you going?"

"There's a nice hammer under the sink. I'm going to introduce you to it, personally." She walked into the kitchen.

Jane hopped off the couch, laughed and said, "I'll be in the bathroom awhile." She ran out of the living room.

Daria came back in the living room, a ball peen hammer in her right hand, and a smile on her face. She stopped outside the bathroom door and said, "Let me in, Jane."

"I'm not decent."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Do you think we should chance going outside in the snow?"

The question caught Daria off guard. She let the hammer hang down at her side and sighed. Then she leaned against the wall and said, "I don't know."

Jane opened the bathroom door and stood in the doorway. "As much as I appreciate having shelter here, we need to get moving again. I...I really miss seeing Trent."

Daria looked at her and nodded. "I have an very strong desire to hug Quinn as if my life depended on it." She laughed briefly and smiled. "I want to hug her and never let go."

"What do you think about the deaths?"

"Jane, I've tried to think the numbers out in my mind. Each time it scares me. _My_estimate is that up to 20 million has died and up to 30 million more will die by the end of the year. This isn't based on any knowledge, just a...gut feeling."

"Your gut feeling scares the hell out of me, Daria."

"Try this one on for size. The fallout exposure will cause reduced immunity in the affected population. A lack of safe, clean food as well as vitamins and minerals added to that could cause, oh, let's say a flu epidemic. That wouldn't just affect the exposed population, but anyone who ends up exposed to the flu virus. I can't even begin to guess the effect radiation would have on such a virus. Plus keep in mind that the medical facilities in place as of Saturday are all overwhelmed with people. Those facilities not overwhelmed will probably get low on supplies as emergency teams try to get a handle on this."

"Forget I asked, O.K.?"

"One more thing, Jane. I don't know this for certain, but I'm betting that people too far gone to help will be...put to sleep, euthanized. This doesn't even cover the burial of the dead. Especially the ones just outside this house."

"No more, Daria. Please."

"Sorry, Jane." She smiled and said, "Let's take a look at your arm. Maybe I can take your stitches out."

"I hope so. It itches." She pulled off the bandage and moved to the bathroom's mirror lights and let Daria look at it.

"Not yet. You're healing and you have no infection. Maybe I'll remove them tomorrow. Your doctor did a professional job, by the way, if I do say so myself."

"My doctor is biased."

"I prefer the words 'honest' and 'modest'."

"'Full of bull' is more like it. Look at that hammer in your hand. You were actually going to beat your patient."

Daria smiled at her. "Diarrhea of the mouth is curable by repeated blows to the head, or so the theory goes. It's up to me to test that theory."

"I'll shut up for now," Jane said as Daria applied more antibiotic salve and a bandage. "That's a less painful cure than yours."

"My cure's more certain."

They walked back into the living room. Jane sighed and said, "I have an idea. If the snow stops tomorrow and melts off, we'll try out that .30-06 and the Rossi .22. It wouldn't hurt to see how they feel and we have plenty of shells for both. Then maybe we can leave later on that day or on Saturday. Head on to a shelter."

Daria nodded. "Sounds good to me." She looked at Jane. "You do realize that we just can't leave those bodies out there like that, don't you? We'll have to bury them."

"How can we dig four graves? I'm not sure I can even dig, and you're not that energetic or strong."

"We'll, or I'll, have to dig shallow graves. I don't really want to do it, but if I don't, it'll eat at me."

**oooooooooo**

The snow stopped later that afternoon and the sun came out for the first time since Saturday. Daria and Jane looked outside from the windows. The snow had already started melting.

"Well, Daria, one thing's for sure. With the ground wet, it'll be easy to dig holes."

On Friday morning, Daria started digging in the wet ground of the back yard. Sure enough, the ground was easy to dig into, but Daria's arms, boots and jeans were covered with mud as she finished.

"You know, Daria, if you ever wanted to get into mud wrestling..." Jane started to say.

"Watch it, Jane. The more experience I get at this, the easier it'll be to hide your body." She wiped sweat off her forehead on the back of her left forearm. From her expression, she also didn't realize that she had rubbed mud on her forehead.

Jane laughed and looked down. "Let's take care of Mr. Cord and see what we can do about the other three."

It took the girls a few minutes to move the old man's body to the grave. Daria covered his face with the slipcover and stood aside as Jane grabbed the shovel and moved the dirt over his body.

When the body was finally covered, Daria said, "I'm not much on eulogies, and I didn't know you. Maybe you were a real jerk in life. It doesn't matter. You helped us and you're still helping us. Thank you. May you rest in peace."

"Rest in peace," Jane said softly and they walked up to the front yard.

They stopped at the bodies of the three men they had killed Sunday night. Daria sat on the porch and said, "I don't think I can dig another grave. Digging the first one was more work than I expected."

"We can burn them."

Daria wasn't sure if Jane was joking or not. "No, we can't. Let's just scoop some dirt over them. It's not like we owe them anything more."

"We don't even owe them that."

Daria stood up and took the shovel from Jane. "I know." She started scooping dirt up and tossing it on the bodies. "But this will give _me_ some peace."

**oooooooooo**

They finished at about sundown and Jane looked at Daria. "You'd make a sexy mud wrestler, Daria. Just make sure you show your boobs to all the guys when you do."

Daria sighed and looked at Jane as if she were an alien from Mars. "You're hopeless, Lane. I'm too tired to bury you or even use the shovel on you. Let's get inside. I'll eat, drink some of my home-made sports drink, clean up, and then I'll kill you."

Jane turned to look at the pile of earth that covered the men and most of the shrub they were next to. "We didn't say anything over their grave."

"O.K.," Daria said and turned around. "Screw you. Good riddance. May you do more in your deaths than you did in your lives."

Jane stared at Daria and laughed. "What are you going to say over _my_ grave, _amiga_?"

"Here lies Jane Lane. Killed by her best friend, and there was much rejoicing. Yay."

"You're exhausted and hallucinating. Let's go inside."

**oooooooooo**

The next morning, Daria and Jane went outside behind the garage at the side of a slight hill. Daria held the .30-06 in her hands as Jane hammered the cardboard target on the utility pole. Then the tall girl jogged back to her friend and smiled at her.

"Are you sure you want to be first?" Jane asked, a smile on her face.

"Why do you keep asking me that?" Daria asked back and stepped off the porch. "The .357 had a slight kick to it. This will be nothing. Don't worry about it."

"O.K., if you say so." Jane smiled at her and watched as she positioned the rifle stock in her right shoulder and looked down the sights. "Don't miss!" she yelled and laughed.

"Be quiet, Jane," Daria said and pulled the trigger. The rifle boomed, lifted slightly and kicked back hard into the diminutive teen's shoulder. She lost her balance and fell onto her butt right in the mud. As she tried to get up, she fell back down and this time, slid a foot down the hill. She looked at her situation while trying to keep the rifle off the ground. "Dammit!"

Jane shook her head and held in her laughs. "I see that you really do like mud wrestling."

"I'm still armed, Jane! Be quiet and help me up."

Jane took the rifle and propped it up against the garage. Then she reached down and grabbed Daria's outstretched hand. She lost her balance as well, however, and fell right onto Daria, whose back was now into the mud and she slid a little more down the hill.

Daria, who was now face to chest with Jane, said, "O.K., Jane, you can get off me now."

Jane lifted her chest off Daria's face, smiled down at her friend and said, "Gee, Daria, if you really wanted me on top of you like that, you should have said something earlier. It's kind of cold out here with the mud and all. We could have done this inside and stayed reasonably warm."

"You'll think cold, if you don't get your body off of me! I'll bury you neck deep in this shit!"

Jane pulled herself to her feet and grabbed onto a elm tree branch for support. Then she grabbed Daria's hand again and pulled her up. "Ow! That hurt my arm!" She released Daria and gripped her bandaged spot briefly.

Daria looked down at herself in disgust, then at Jane. "You knew the rifle would kick me like that, didn't you?"

Jane helped her back up the hill. "I suspected it would."

"I need to take a shower and wash all my clothes. I feel filthy."

Jane moved away from her, smiled and said, "We could always shower together, since you wanted me on top of you. We'd save on water that way."

For the next couple of minutes, Jane ran through the back yard as Daria chased her, the rifle held in her hands like a club.

After the two calmed down and went back inside, the wind started blowing through the area. The target on the utility pole swayed slightly, but mostly stayed still. The center of it had a hole a couple of inches wide and a small chunk of wood was missing from the pole.


	10. Chapter 10

On Saturday morning, Daria and Jane had packed the SUV, a Ford Explorer, as full as they could get it and still allow whoever drove it to see out the back through the rearview mirror. Jane had siphoned all the gasoline out of Larry Carter's car and that of the three men they had killed in the front yard Sunday night.

Before they left, Daria examined Jane's arm once more in the bathroom. "Well, Jane, you are in disgusting good health. You are healing very well, and I think we should take out your stitches. Since I don't have a chainsaw handy, I'll just use scissors."

"What if it starts to reopen?" Jane asked.

"There's packaging tape in the kitchen," Daria said. "I was going to take it with us." She saw Jane's uncertain smile and added, "I'm not joking. If you start to reopen, the tape will hold you together until you've healed a little more."

"Maybe you should leave the stitches in another day."

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Lane."

"I'm serious, Daria. Let's leave them in one more day."

Daria saw Jane's determined look, raised her hands and backed up slightly. "O.K., Jane, calm down. One more day."

Jane sighed in relief and said, "Thank you. Now, I'm ready to scoot."

They walked out onto the back porch and Daria pulled the door shut. "How much money did you count up earlier?" she asked.

"Thanks to our late host and the others, plus what we already had, we now have $1,322 and 17 cents. That's not counting those gold pieces and old coins we found in Mr. Cord's bedroom."

Daria got behind the wheel of the SUV and Jane climbed in the passenger seat. "I don't know if money will be any good for now. But if it is, we'll be ready."

"That's why we have all the trade goods, too. I'd bet the beer and whiskey will bring a good trade price."

Daria started the vehicle and pulled out on the highway. "I hope you're right. Now, if I read that map from the house right, we're somewhere near U.S. 219, within 10 or so miles from Grantsville. Let's go there first."

"Frostburg is bigger," Jane pointed out as she read the map's city and county index. "Maybe more chance of a rescue center there."

"True, Jane, but we may find something we need in Grantsville."

As Daria drove, the two noticed the quiet look of the area. There were no children outside playing, no laundry on clotheslines, in fact some homes looked abandoned. At a few houses, there were rifle or shotgun barrels aimed at them from behind barricades or doors until they passed on. One house had several people working around and on a tractor, but two of them were armed. All of them watched the SUV with cautious interest until it passed.

Jane held her .357 in her right hand and constantly looked around as Daria drove. "Damn," she said quietly, "you can just feel the fear in the air."

"People don't know what to expect," Daria said as she turned east on U.S. 40. "Others may have already run into some bad guys, like we did."

It took them nearly 15 minutes to drive into Grantsville. No roadblocks stopped them, but the town had an tense, armed feel to it. They knew that they were being watched. But when they came to what looked like a small grocery store, Daria pulled into the parking lot.

"What are we doing here?" Jane asked nervously. "I don't think those armed men will let you in the store."

"I'm going to see if we can do a trade," Daria said and handed her the Magnum. "Just stay in the SUV. Let me handle it." She reached into a jacket pocket and pulled something out. 

Jane looked at Daria as if she were nuts. "What do we need here so bad that we're willing to do a trade? We've got food, blankets, guns, and clothes, along with a lot of other stuff. What's so important that we have to stop?"

Daria sighed and looked into Jane's eyes with a small smile on her face. "Feminine hygiene products, Jane. Any more questions?"

"Oh," Jane looked away and blushed. "Sorry. Forget I asked."

"Don't worry, I will."

Outside, Daria walked up to the men. One man stepped out to greet her, but he glared at her and said bluntly, "We're not open and we won't be for awhile. We don't have enough food to sell to outsiders."

"I'm not here for food," Daria said. She was careful not to make any sudden moves. "I'd like to buy some...feminine hygiene products."

The man lost some of his hostility, but said, "Until I find where, or even if, the U.S. government stands, I can't accept money. Sorry."

"How about this?" Daria held up a quarter-ounce U.S. gold bullion coin. "Think we can do a trade here?"

The man's eyes widened at the sight of the gold coin; he relaxed and gave Daria a genuine smile. "What kind of trade are you thinking of?" he asked.

"Well," she said, "the face value of this coin is $10, so I thought that you'd 'sell' me $10 worth of pads and tampons for this coin. Do we have a deal?"

The store owner nodded and turned to a young teen boy sitting near the door. "Marvin, escort this young lady to the health and beauty aisle and help her get $10 worth of what she needs."

"O.K., Dad," he said and they walked into the store together. He waited until the door finally shut, then he turned to Daria and looked her over slowly. "You're cute."

Daria resisted the impulse to insult him and roll her eyes. "Uh, huh," she said as they walked to the aisle. The boy opened a paper bag and handed it to her.

The boy looked at the door quickly and leaned close to Daria. "Hey, beautiful, what kind of food do you like?" he asked.

"What?"

"What kind of food do you like?" he asked again.

"Pizza. Why?"

He glanced at her with a smirk and then stared at the door. Then he whispered, "I'll give you a pizza kit if you give me a gold coin."

Daria looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What if your dad catches you?"

"Cover it with pads and tampons and he won't want to look. That kind of stuff grosses him out. Mom has to keep her packs hidden or it'll get him sick."

She pulled a one-tenth ounce gold coin out of her pocket. "Give me four and we have a deal," she said in a quieter voice.

"Two," the boy countered.

"Three," Daria countered back.

"Deal." The boy took three pizza kit boxes and laid them sideways in the bottom of the bag. Daria handed him the coin and he said, "O.K., choose what kind of the 'female' stuff you need."

Daria grabbed several packs of pads and tampons, which added up to just over $10 in value. The boy snagged a box of generic facial tissues and put it in the bag as well. Then, he grabbed a 14-ounce bag of M&Ms and also put them in the bag. "What are you doing?"

"I like giving pretty girls chocolate," he said. "Every girl I know likes chocolate."

Daria closed her eyes briefly and resisted the impulse to laugh. Instead, she looked at him and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you."

The boy's smile widened and he shivered. "No," he said. "_Thank you_. He then put a bag of corn chips in the bag and hid them under the assorted feminine products.

"You'd better relax that smile or your dad will know something's up." The boy calmed himself down and winked at her and she gave him a small smile in return.

They stepped back outside and Daria turned to the store owner. "Thank you for doing business with me."

"My pleasure," the man said and looked over his gold coin. "Anytime."

Then she turned to the boy and said, "Thank you, too."

He raised his eyebrows a couple of times real quick and said, "You're welcome."

In the SUV, Daria handed Jane the sack and said, "Wait until we're gone to look over our stuff." She started the ignition, then replaced the pistol in her holster.

"Oh? What'd we get?"

Daria pulled the SUV back onto U.S. 40 and headed east out of town. "We got pads and tampons, but we also got three pizza kits, corn chips, and a bag of M&Ms. The food was extra."

"You shoplifted?" Jane asked. "I heard the man say he wasn't going to sell you food."

"Not only did I trade with the man, I also traded with the boy. He's the one who traded with me for the food. I used two of the gold pieces."

"Isn't that a bit much, Daria? The feminine stuff I can see. The food I can't, because we have food."

"They're _pizza _kits, Jane. P-i-z-z-a."

"Where are we going to bake them, smart ass? An SUV has a lot of extras, but it doesn't have an oven."

Daria gave Jane a weak smile. "Don't worry. We'll find someplace with an oven before it goes bad."

Jane snorted in derision. "Compared with Pizza King, it's already gone bad. Oh, well, better than _no_ pizza."

"That's my point, Jane."

Jane looked at her for several seconds, then said, "Let's try to make our trade items a little more...valuable. You should have gotten more food in a trade."

"In a few months, five gold coins may not even get us that much." Daria sped up to fifty as they got further from the town. "This is still new to us. Here's something else new for you to think about. When we left this morning, we had a full tank of gas and 5 extra gallons. When we use all that up, where are we going to get more gas?"

Jane blinked and looked ahead. "I don't know."

"Neither do I. It's very likely that gas may not be sold around here for years, except on the black market. Five gold coins may get us five gallons, or none. Gasoline is like food. You only have so long to use it before it goes bad. If the refineries aren't up to speed, I'd be shocked to see us get any gas after...a month, maximum."

Jane frowned and shook her head. "You know, Daria, you are really a fount of cheerful news."

Daria glanced at her, then looked back at the road. "I don't want to lie to you, Jane. It won't be cheerful, most of the time."

**oooooooooo**

As they arrived in Frostburg, they came upon a roadblock manned by National Guard soldiers and slowed to a stop in a line behind two cars, a truck and an RV. The soldiers who talked with each driver seemed laid back and relaxed, but Daria felt it was some kind of ruse. _Their backups look like they're ready to shoot as the slightest sign of trouble_, she thought.

"You know, Daria, I'm getting tired of roadblocks." Jane said and crossed her arms over her chest. 

"Really? I thought you'd look forward to the chance of being stripped and searched by kids barely old enough to smoke."

Jane gave her a sideways glance and laughed. "Actually, I look forward to seeing you get stripped and searched after I tell them you kidnapped me."

Daria held in her laugh and rolled her eyes. "Remember what you told me several days ago. 'We don't have to like it. We just have to deal with it.'"

They were waved up to the guardsman then and Daria pulled up and stopped, her window down. A corporal in his late twenties looked them over briefly and smiled at them. "Ladies, you're welcome here in town, but a lot of stores are closed for the time being."

"We wanted to check out a shelter," Jane said. "We need some potassium...um, potassium..."

"...iodide," the solder finished for her. "Not a problem. They're also giving away food since the Army had a stockpile near here and we're so close to three bombed areas. Plus there's still room if you need a place to stay." He pointed down the street. "Drive to the third stoplight and turn left. Go north until you get to the high school. The parking lot's very secure."

"What do you mean by 'very secure'?" Daria asked.

"We shoot any looters we catch breaking into cars." He smiled proudly. "We have a lot of Guardsmen and women in this town and 95 percent of them are on the job here in some capacity. No security problems, except for the five we had to shoot. After we shot them, things really calmed down then." He backed away from the SUV and waved them on.

Daria followed the directions given to them by the soldier and stopped at an impromptu guard shack set up at a high school parking lot. A young man carrying a rifle walked up to the SUV; Daria saw that another man kept an M-16 on standby and watched them from the side of the guard shack.

"Hi!" the young man said and smiled at the two girls. "If you two need shelter, my house is just five blocks from here."

Daria held in the comeback she wanted to use. _One should never insult an armed man, _she thought. Instead, she smiled back and said, "Thank you, but we're here to see about getting medicine and maybe food."

He nodded and looked them over slowly, his smile still on his face. "Sure," he said as he looked back up. "Just park where you can find a spot, go to the front entrance and follow the directions. But remember, the offer of shelter still stands, my charming ladies."

Jane smiled as well and said, "If we end up back here in Frostburg, we'll get in touch with you."

The man pulled a business card out of his left breast pocket and handed it to them. "I'm usually here until six. So if you do come back, go to the address on the card after six."

Daria took the card and read it. "Thank you, uh, Doug. We will." She drove on into the parking lot. "I wonder if he's related to Upchuck."

"I was thinking cloned until I saw his dark hair," Jane replied. "I wonder how many cards he had when he started out."

"Probably a hundred." Daria found a parking spot about 200 feet from the front entrance, about three rows from the sidewalk. "I think he liked your chest. Really, Jane, you shouldn't stick it out like that."

"You're one to talk, Daria. You should keep your blouse buttoned. Giving free peeks to imitation Upchucks. The real one would be jealous."

They exited and locked the SUV. Jane stared at it for several seconds, then noticed Daria's questioning glance. "I'm trying to memorize the SUV. Remember, we just recently got it."

"I just realized, what if we get pulled over? If they do an ownership check, we can get arrested for auto theft."

Jane smiled and pulled a paper from an inside jacket pocket, along with a note pad and a driver's license. "I've been practicing Mr. Cord's signature and I already know how to copy Dad's autograph. Mr. Cord sold Dad the SUV three days before the war for $5,000, at least according to the title here."

"It would have been nice to know that, Jane. When were you planning on telling me?"

Jane shrugged and did her best to look innocent. "I forgot. Sorry."

They walked up to a recently erected sign put up near the school entrance. It was written in all caps and to the point.

"WARNING! THIS PARKING LOT IS BEING WATCHED AND PATROLLED. IF WE CATCH YOU BREAKING INTO VEHICLES, WE WON'T ARREST YOU. WE WILL SHOOT YOU. WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE DEADLY FORCE.

"IF YOU ACT SUSPICIOUS, WE WILL DETAIN YOU, IF NOT SHOOT YOU. WE ARE UNDER MARTIAL LAW AND SO ARE YOU. DON'T MAKE US PROVE IT.

"THOSE SEEKING SHELTER, USE THE GREEN DOORS. ALL OTHERS, USE THE BLUE DOORS.

Daria made sure her jacket was buttoned at the waist and the pistol hidden, while Jane popped a bubble as she chewed gum. They approached the blue doors, where a line ended just inside the first set of doors.

A second sign, handwritten, was set up on an easel just past the second set of doors.

"_Local citizens are eligible for one week's supply of rations. You must present either a receipt of a recent water bill or your last property tax payment stub._

"_Transients with Maryland I.D. are eligible for a three-day supply of rations. All others are eligible for a one-day supply._

"_Be thankful for what you get. Many people in other areas are getting less. Many more are getting nothing."_

"I suggest we play it cool in here," Jane said in Daria's left ear quietly. "I don't think they're going to take shit from anyone."

"I'd say that you're right on that one," Daria whispered back. "Hopefully, we'll get rations that taste good."

"Don't hold your breath. I've heard that Red Cross rations were pretty gross."

As the line slowly moved to the processing tables, Daria found herself looking over the shelter interior. Despite the distance between Frostburg and Lawndale, there was always a slight possibility that her parents or Quinn, or even Trent, were all there.

"Hey, Daria!" Jane said suddenly.

Daria turned to her and asked, "What?"

"That woman at the far table. Doesn't she look familiar?"

Daria looked and her mouth dropped open in shock. "That's...that's Sandi's mom. What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

Jane stood on her toes and looked into the shelter. "If she's here, then maybe there's other Lawndale people here as well."

Daria looked around as well. _Please, God, let them be here. Let them be here_. But they saw nobody else they knew and reached the table.

Linda Griffin looked up as she said, "Your name, please..." Then her face paled. "Ohmigod! Omigod! You're...you're Quinn's sister! Are other Lawndale people with you?" She jumped to her feet and searched the line behind them.

"We weren't in Lawndale on Saturday morning," Daria said. _She knows that I'm Quinn's sister and not her cousin?_

"You weren't in Lawndale?" Linda's confusion was very evident. "Where were you?"

"We were in West Virginia when it all started. We've been trying to get back and this is as far as we've gotten."

Just then, a man in his mid-thirties with a nametag with "DAVID" printed on it came up and asked, "Is there a problem here, Linda?"

Linda put a smile on her face and turned to him. "I've just come across a couple of my friends from Lawndale," she said. Daria and Jane glanced at each other with their eyebrows raised and Jane mouthed, _Oh, really? _"Would you mind if I took a break now, David? I'll get them their supplies while I find out what's happened with them."

The man gave Linda what seemed to Daria an intimate smile. "Sure thing, take your time and I watch your spot for a little while."

Linda's smile widened. "Thank you, David. I really appreciate it." She gave his left arm a slight squeeze and his smile widened even more.

To Daria and Jane, it was like watching Quinn at work on the three J's. Linda was just a whole lot better and more refined at it than Quinn.

Linda guided Daria and Jane behind the tables and down a hallway newly labeled, "SHELTER STAFF ONLY." She looked back at Jane as they walked and asked, "You're Vincent and Amanda Lane's girl, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged," Jane said. "Unless, of course, there's a problem in which case I plead the fifth."

The older woman laughed and took them in what was normally a small office space for two teachers. The desks were taken out and replaced with a cot with two folding chairs. "My room here, or at least until the shelter shuts down." She guided them to sit on the bed and continued, "Helen let you drove to West Virginia? By yourselves?"

"She doesn't know where we are," Daria protested and looked away briefly. "It was a spur of the moment road trip and we've been trying to get back ever since. What are _you_ doing here?"

Linda sighed and sat in one of the folding chairs. She gave them a rueful smile and said, "KSBC had a weekend employee teambuilding conference outside of Frostburg last Saturday morning. It was supposed to be in May, but they found out they could do it in April at half the cost and moved it up."

"Hell," Jane whispered. "Talk about your bad timing."

"Indeed," Linda agreed. "We were eating lunch when the Washington bomb exploded. Ray Wilson, our lead sports anchor, tried to rush us back to Baltimore so we could get home. When the Philadelphia bomb went off, he was blinded and drove head first into a utility pole. John Laren, the assistant station manager, was up front with Ray." She swallowed and closed her eyes. "They...died instantly in the crash. Cindy Parker, the KSBC celebrity reporter, was in back with me. I had buckled myself in, but she hadn't. The crash snapped her neck in two and she died in my arms not long after."

She wiped tears from her eyes. "We were just a block or so from a fire station. They rescued me and brought me here."

"Have you tried to get back to Lawndale?" Daria asked.

Linda looked at them and more tears filled her eyes. "Lawndale is off limits now. They evacuated it after the bombings. Besides...besides..." She looked away, her hands over her face.

To Daria, it seemed as if Linda aged in front of them; she watched as the older woman forcibly reined in her emotions.

Linda now had a neutral look on her face, as if she were about to read a news story about a ship sinking or a plane crash. But her eyes were still wet. She said, "Last Saturday morning, Tom drove Sandi and her Fashion Club friends to Mall of the Millenium. Sam and Chris went with them. I called him up on his cell phone as I was eating my lunch. He had left the children at the mall while he was getting the oil changed at a Quik-E-Lube across the street."

"But Mall of the Millenium is between Baltimore and Washington!" Daria said quickly.

A tear ran down Linda's right cheek as she looked at the floor. "I know," she said. "I was criticizing him over the phone for his poor per...I mean, something stupid." She took several deep breaths and suppressed her cries. "My last words with my husband were...insulting." More tears ran down her cheeks. "I've been hoping beyond hope that Tom got the kids and got them all out of there. But every night, I've dreamed that they all died in the firestorm from Washington." She broke down and cried.

"Quinn was with them?" Daria asked, her voice a higher pitch than she intended.

Linda looked up and nodded as she cried. "She...she showed up before I left for the conference."

Daria stared ahead in shock. She remembered that Quinn had left the house earlier than usual that day to avoid contact with Helen, who had the flu. She thought about what Linda had said about her last words with her husband and also remembered that her last words to Quinn were an insult. _Oh, God, let me have a chance to make it up to her! _She closed her eyes and began crying as well.

Jane sat still and uncertain of what to do. She lightly touched Daria's left shoulder and Linda's right shoulder, then closed her eyes as they cried.


	11. Chapter 11

After several minutes, Linda's cries subsided and she gave Jane a weak smile and nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem," Jane said and looked at Daria.

Daria kept her face covered as she continued crying. _My sister, my sister! Oh, God, I want to die! Quinn! Oh, Quinn!_

Linda put both of her hands on Daria's shoulders and gripped her gently. "I'm very, very sorry, Daria," she said and sniffled. "I'm so very sorry. Right now, I feel as if I'm just a shadow of myself. I do understand what you're going through. Both of us are in the same boat." She glanced at Jane and said, "Actually, you know nothing about your family either, do you?"

Jane shook her head. "My brother was at home when I left. One of my sisters is in North Carolina, but I don't know where everyone else is."

Daria moved her hands down and looked at Linda through tear-blurred eyes. _Mom, I wish you and Dad were here_, she thought. _I need you both so bad_. She thought of the times that Helen complained about Linda, calling her a harpy and a bitch and many other bad things. In the past, she had pretty much agreed with her mother, or at least didn't disagree. But now she saw Linda through different eyes. The woman before her was a hurting mother and regretful wife, one who seemed very scared and very alone.

"I can talk to David and get you two a place to stay here," Linda said. "I can even get you a job to do here. It...it keeps one occupied and other things off your mind."

Daria shook her head. "I've got to try and find Mom and Dad," she said and took a deep breath. "I need to check other shelters."

"I'm with her," Jane said. "I've got to find where Trent is."

Linda looked at her for several seconds, then at Jane, then she looked down at the floor. "May God forgive me for this, but I don't want to leave here. I'm scared to death to leave." She looked at them. "There have been bad things happening closer to the destroyed areas. I don't know all the details, but some of the ones here from the Pittsburgh area have been robbed, beaten, even raped. Others have been murdered. David said that the same things have been happening near Washington, Norfolk and Philadelphia. Probably also at the other destroyed cities, as well."

"Do you know what cities were destroyed?" Jane asked.

"I only know of some," Linda told her. "The four I mentioned, plus St. Louis, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Dallas, New York City, and I heard Las Vegas was, too, though that doesn't make any sense."

"Probably someone's idea of a joke," Daria said. "It was more than likely Nellis Air Force Base."

"That's the strange thing," Linda said. "Outside of Norfolk, the targets seemed to be just population centers. I don't understand it and neither does David."

"Can I ask you about David?" Daria asked her. "He seems...close to you."

"He wants to be," Linda admitted. "I met him at the teambuilding conference. He's a programming director of the local public broadcasting station. He remembered my interview with Rosalynn Carter and all the other silly news stories I did and told me that 'I' pushed him into a telecommunications career." She laughed. "I thought he was using an original pick-up line on me. I still do." Then her smile faded and she sighed. "I'm in my mid-40s, Daria. As far as I know, Tom and the children are...gone. Everything that I was, that I had, that I've been, is now radioactive and untouchable. I have nothing. I am nothing. David's almost 10 years my junior. Several young ladies have put the moves on him, but he...wants me." She closed her eyes. "Here's where I feel like some evil witch. I...I'm with David now. When the shelter shuts down, I'll be living in his home."

"What if Tom is still alive and shows up?" Jane asked.

Linda looked at her. "I'll go back to him. I already talked about that with David and he understood. He's been trying to contact the other shelters to see if he can find my family. The main problem we have is a lack of communications. Many areas near the bombed cities suffered massive electronic disruptions. Even areas not bombed suffered some disruptions."

"We saw a lot of stalled cars on that Saturday," Daria said. "Ours wasn't affected. Has he found any shelters with Lawndale residents in them?"

Linda shook her head. "They're using UHF equipment in trying to contact other areas. We can't raise anyplace between Cumberland and Atlantic City, or north of Raleigh, North Carolina, or south of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. We know that there's other shelters in the area. The city of Frederick has a lot of refugees, but we can't contact them yet." She stood up and wiped her eyes. "I need to take you to a doctor. I just noticed your bandage," she said to Jane, "and if you are going to check out other shelters, you should be checked out first here anyway."

"Do you love David?" Daria asked.

"I don't know him well enough to love him," Linda said as she looked at Daria. "But I don't want to end up a homeless woman dying at the side of the road, either. I can grow to love him."

"What if we find Tom and your kids out there?" Jane asked. "What do we tell them?"

"Send them here," she replied quickly. "Send them to me. I'll take care of the rest."

They left the room and Linda led them down the hall to what was normally the school nurse's office. A tired-looking older man turned, and on seeing Linda, he gave her a weak smile. "What can I do for you, Linda?" he asked.

"These two are friends of mine," she said. "They've been out away from home since...since it all started. Could you check them out, make sure they're O.K.? Especially Jane here, since her arm's been injured."

"Sure thing," he said and nodded and motioned the girls to come in. He led Jane to the examination table and had her sit on it. "What happened to your arm?"

"A guy shot at me," she said. "The bullet nicked me, but I got away from him."

The doctor removed the bandage and looked with interest at Daria's sewing job. He turned to Daria and asked, "Is this your handiwork, young lady?"

Daria blushed, especially when Linda moved in closer and looked at it. "Yes," she said. "It wouldn't stop bleeding and pressure bandages wouldn't help."

"Why didn't you try to go for help?" Linda asked.

"Two towns wouldn't let us in to begin with," Jane said. "We found shelter at an abandoned home and Daria fixed me up as best as she could."

"It looks better than I would have expected for sewing thread," the doctor said. "How did you sterilize it?"

"Rubbing alcohol," Daria said. "After I finished, I cleaned it regularly and applied anti-biotic salve. I didn't know what else to do."

He smiled. "You did a good job, except that stitches aren't normally done like that. Usually, each stitch is separate from the others." He glanced at Jane. "You have a scar. I hope that isn't a problem."

Jane smiled. "It makes me look tougher than I really am," she said.

"I'm going to remove the stitches. Your arm's healed up nicely." He grabbed a pair of scissors and after he snipped each stitch, he looked at Daria again. "You apparently kept your cool while you did this. Most people would have panicked."

"I almost did."

He pulled each stitch out with tweezers and deposited each piece in a nearby trashcan. "Any other injuries to report?"

Daria nodded. "I was temporarily blinded by the Philadelphia bomb flash and some guy punched Jane in the nose. I think it improved her looks."

Jane stuck her tongue out at Daria, who resisted the impulse to smile and stick her tongue out as well.

"Why did he punch you in the nose?" Linda asked.

Daria and Jane looked at each other briefly and Daria took a deep breath. She said, "He wanted to rape us. We got away from him, too, before he could do anything."

The doctor gave Jane's nose a brief exam and said, "As long as you can breathe, I wouldn't worry about it." He opened the door to the next room and said, "Sam, I need you to see if these girls have been irradiated." He turned back to the girls and added, "Actually, I doubt you have been. Had you two been irradiated, this injury wouldn't have healed as well as it has. But it's better to be safe, than sorry."

"Has there been a problem with radiation sickness around here?" Jane asked. "We've been afraid of the snow, wind and any rain."

"We have about 50 or so radiation sickness victims," Linda said. "Most from the area east of Pittsburgh. None of them were from here."

"Thank God that Atlanta, Chattanooga, or Knoxville wasn't hit," the doctor said, "or we'd have a lot more. The problem is that when the wind eventually shifts, we'll get fallout from D.C. or Philadelphia. Fortunately, a lot of the particles are already decayed. But not all of them. Have you two taken any potassium iodide yet?"

Daria shook her head. "That's part of why we're here."

"Well, Linda can get you what you need after Sam checks you out." The doctor turned his attention to finishing up on Jane's arm and Daria went to get checked out for radiation exposure.

Inside the other examination room, a man in his mid-40s motioned Daria to an examination table. "Go ahead and remove your jacket," he said.

"I'd just as soon keep it on, if you don't mind," she said and held it together in front of her.

He shook his head. "I can't give you a very accurate exam with it on. You don't have to take your clothes off, but you do need to remove the jacket."

"It'll be O.K., Daria," Linda said. "Go ahead and take it off."

Daria sighed and removed the jacket. When she saw Linda's and Sam's eyes widen at the sight of the pistol, she wish she had kept it on anyway. She took a deep breath and said, "It's to scare off troublemakers. We've already dealt with several in the last week. I wish we'd had it when we met that would-be rapist."

"Where did you get it?" Linda asked as she stared at it.

"We found it at the abandoned home," Daria lied.

Linda looked at her and said, "This is what worries me about Sandi and the boys, if they're out there in all this. Tom can take care of himself, but what if he's dead and the kids are still alive?" She covered her face. "I'm terrified to leave Frostburg to look for them, partly because I'm afraid of being raped or killed by criminals." She suppressed a sob and kept her face covered.

Sam stopped what he was doing long enough to look towards Linda. He gently patted her shoulder and said, "Situations like this bring out extremes in people. Some do extraordinary good, while others go pure evil. You're right to be cautious." Then he looked at Daria. "As far as I can tell, you're not irradiated, nor are your clothes nor your weapon. You should still take the potassium iodide anyway, because there was iodine-131 contamination from the bombs, though the half life of that is relatively short lived."

He stopped, scratched his chin and looked at Daria. "There's also danger from other sources of contamination as well. With nukes, you have strontium-90, caesium-137 and caesium-134 to deal with, along with iodine-131. The radioiodine itself will be totally gone within the year. But the half-life of caesium-137 is more than 30 years."

"I keep hearing David talk about 'half-life'," Linda said. "What is it?"

Daria looked at her. "Half-life is time needed for a radioactive isotope to half its initial value," she said.

"That's right," Sam said.

"Would we be able to go back to Washington after 30 years then?"

Sam shook his head. "No," he said. "If I understand it right, caseium-137 will decay in half after 30 years. After another 30 years, it will be one-fourth its initial value. After another 30 years, it will be one-eighth its initial value, and so on."

"It could take hundreds of years for bombed areas to be 'safe'," Daria added.

"Probably closer to a thousand years," Sam said, "if not longer. For us, the bombed areas are just...gone." He looked back at Daria. "Do you know what to avoid if you go into areas of fallout?"

"Milk and calcium sources, since strontium concentrates in the bones. You should also avoid fresh fruits or vegetables if they're contaminated by fallout or even possibly contaminated."

"You seem to know your stuff on this," he said. "Most kids are utterly terrified right now because they know nothing about it. They certainly learned nothing about it in school."

Daria shrugged. "I lived near a uranium source when I was younger. It was just natural to look it up."

Jane came in as was checked out as well. When she was found to be clean, Linda took them to a supply room and handed them each a small, plastic-wrapped box.

"Potassium iodide," she said. "Take as directed, but keep any left in case there's another explosion. Now, do you prefer Red Cross rations or military MREs?"

"We have a choice?" Daria asked.

Linda nodded. "I recommend that you don't take the Red Cross rations. They...aren't that good, in my opinion. The military rations, however, do have some good meals in them, all things considered."

Jane smiled. "Do they have any pizza rations?"

Linda shook her head. "No, but they have some pretty good variety." She walked them to a storeroom, went inside for a few seconds, then came out and gave them each a box. "This is one-week's supply for each of you."

"I thought we were only eligible for three-days worth," Daria pointed out.

"I want you to do something for me and this is a bribe." Linda looked her straight in the eyes.

"Oh?" Daria returned her look. "What do you want us to do?"

"If you see my family, send them my way. I'll stay here in Frostburg, so just send them here. If you find out that they're...dead, try to let me know if you can. The best way to reach us is by radio. Cell phones will be out until they replace the phone towers. All of them around here got burned out by the bombs."

There was a silence for several seconds, then Jane said, "We'll do what we can for you."

Linda smiled and led them to a side emergency exit. "Good. I hope and pray that you stay safe and find your families as well." She then gave Daria a quick hug from the side.

Daria looked at her with alarm, but had her hands full and couldn't respond.

Linda hugged Jane the same way. "I'm sorry if that was too familiar, but you two are the only connection I have with my old life and my home. If you find that everyone's...well, you know, come back here and I'll do what I can to take care of you."

Daria looked at the rations. "Thank you for your help."

"I want to say that I love you," Linda said with a weak smile.

"But you don't really know us," Jane said.

"No, but I do care about you two. Take care of yourselves and don't take any unnecessary risks."

Daria and Jane nodded and left out the side door.


	12. Chapter 12

As they reached the SUV, Jane loaded her supply of MRE's in the backseat, then took the box Daria held. "Hey!" she said loudly. "Your box is lighter than mine was!"

Daria looked at Jane with some concern. "O.K., what kind of stunt is Linda Griffin pulling?"

Jane opened the second box and counted the meals inside. "You have a week's supply." She looked confused. "Then what the hell is in the other box?"

Daria climbed in the SUV, leaned over the front seat and opened the first box. She smiled and held up a Geiger counter and a small note. "'You may need this. L.' Looks like a surprise gift from Linda."

Jane shut the back door and got in the front seat again. "Looks like she does care for us. Hope they didn't need it."

Daria set the device in it's case and laid it on the back floorboard, then closed the MRE box up. "If they did, I don't think she would have given it to us." She got behind the wheel and shut the door. "She wouldn't take a chance messing up her new-found security." She started the vehicle and backed out of the parking spot. "How would you feel about having her as a surrogate mother? Would you be willing to live with her?"

"No," Jane said quickly. "We'd clash eventually."

"Probably sooner, rather than later."

The guard they saw as they left was a different man, who waved them on without looking at them. They drove back to U.S. 40 and headed east. At the eastern edge of town, they reached another roadblock and a soldier waved them to a stop. Once again, they were looked over and the soldier said, "I recommend that if you're headed further east, get on the interstate going through Cumberland. The city itself has some nasty traffic problems and probably will for the next week or so."

"Are there a lot of evacuees there?" Daria asked.

The soldier nodded. "A lot of people from the east of Pittsburgh. Apparently they heard about the stockpile of Army rations."

"Would you know about where Baltimore-area refugees would be?" Jane asked.

The soldier scratched his head close to his helmet and shrugged. "Not really, ma'am. Some that came on to Frederick on I-70 went through really heavy fallout from D.C. They have a lot of sick people there and the Army's sending most of the refugees north towards Pennsylvania. Most people went north along I-83, at least that's the rumor. Family from there?"

Both girls nodded, their expressions somber.

He gave them a sad look and said, "Be careful where you go. They're not letting people go east of Hagerstown, due to the massive number of refugees, but so far they're only watching the main roads. Communications east of here are spotty, at best. If you get in trouble, you probably won't get help."

Daria and Jane looked at each other and Daria turned back to the soldier. "We have to try anyway," she said. "Are there any areas you recommend we avoid?"

The soldier said quickly, "Don't go south of I-70, nor east of State Road 27. Those are already official boundaries for no-man's land."

"No-man's land?" Jane asked.

The soldier glanced as three cars pulled up behind the SUV. "The radioactive or bombed zones. No civilians are allowed in there at all. In fact, no one is for at least another month. The radiation gets worse the farther you get in that zone. Then, after that month is up, only military or government crews will be allowed in. Some areas they will never go in. Looters will be shot on sight." He moved his hand. "Move along. Be careful."

Daria drove on and swallowed nervously. "I'm ready to search for our loved ones. But I have to admit, I'm scared shitless."

"Same here," Jane said. "Want to try Hagerstown first?"

"Actually, I want to try Frederick first." Daria drove onto the interstate and sped up. "If our families are there, they may be some of the sick ones." She swallowed again. "I'd like to be there for them, before it's too late. Then, we try out southern Pennsylvania. How does that sound to you?"

"Sounds good to me."

They reached the Cumberland area a few minutes later and found the traffic situation as bad on the interstate as it appeared to be on the city streets. In addition to traffic, the roads had a lot of pedestrians as well. Daria locked the doors and Jane held her pistol out and ready as several different people walked by and looked over their vehicle with interest. When they saw Jane's weapon and how she glared at them, however, they moved on quickly past them.

"This is creepy," Daria said. "If I had known it was going to be this bad, I would have bypassed the city itself."

"Those two who just passed us seemed _very_ interested in us," Jane said as she watched two men look back at them.

"More than likely, they wanted our SUV, Jane. We'd just be a bonus."

Jane lifted the pistol. "I have their bonuses right here." One looked back at her and she showed him the pistol and gave him a grim smile. "Just try it," she muttered. "Just try it."

The man's mouth dropped open and he turned and moved along with his friend.

After a while, they approached the interchange with state road 51. Daria looked ahead and asked, "What's happening up there? Can you tell?"

Jane glanced around their area for a few seconds, then rolled down the window and leaned outside. She looked around, came back in and rolled the window back up. "Looks like a bad wreck."

Daria sighed loudly and said, "We're getting off the interstate and heading south on 51. We're just wasting fuel here as it is."

But it still took nearly half an hour for the two to reach the exit ramp and another 10 minutes to actually get in the southbound lanes of the state road. Once they were actually moving and driving south, Jane leaned back and sighed. "How many people do you think were in Cumberland anyway?"

"I don't know. Based on what we saw, I'd say 70,000, maybe more."

Jane consulted a map and read the index. "It says here that Cumberland has a population of some 22,000 people." She glanced at the opposite lanes. The bulk of the traffic was northbound into the city. Very few vehicles were going in the same direction as they were. "I just had a weird thought, _amiga_."

"Oh?"

"What if people are fleeing to the cities for safety? What are they running from?"

"Probably radioactivity. Well, that, or fear of gangs coming out of the big cities."

They drove on for several minutes, then Daria pulled over to the side of the road at an abandoned car lot.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked.

Daria pulled the Geiger counter out and said, "I want to scan the area briefly. See how much radiation is on the ground."

Jane watched her move around briefly and got outside. She held the pistol ready and scanned the perimeter as Daria worked.

Finally, Daria returned to the SUV and they got back inside. As Daria put the Geiger counter back into its case, Jane buckled herself back in. "Well, what did you find?"

"Minimal background radiation, probably always been there." She pulled away from the side of the road and sped up. "I saw an interview with a Navy sailor once, one who served on nuclear submarines. He did a check of the environment of his hometown in Indiana and also on the sub he was stationed on. His hometown had more background radiation than his sub did."

"So Lawndale may have always been 'hot'?"

"I wouldn't exactly say 'hot'." Daria gave Jane a small smile. "It would explain a lot, however. It sure explains Highland."

After several minutes, they found the highway blocked with a mountain of junk just past a turnoff for Green Spring, West Virginia. The sign read, "DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. JUST LEAVE US ALONE. GOD WILL PROVIDE FOR US."

"What in the world is this crap?" Jane asked. "God will provide what?"

"I think they're counting on God to protect them," Daria replied. "Must be either a tight-knit community centered around one church...or a cult. More than likely, the second choice. I'd hate to be there when that protection is tested. It won't be pretty."

"So what do we do now?"

Daria shrugged. "I guess we go back into West Virginia." She turned the SUV south and crossed the Potomac River into the Mountain State.

For several miles, they drove in silence, until they came to what looked like a bad wreck just past an intersection with a county road. A semi had collided with a panel truck and effectively blocked the road.

"Damn!" Daria said and frowned as she looked over the area. She glanced at Jane and said, "Looks like we drive down a county road and take the scenic route."

She turned right onto the county road and drove past several fields and farmhouses, but mostly the area was dense with woods. A few of the houses had people near them, but a lot looked suddenly abandoned. Those people they did see watched them cautiously, weapons in their hands. At one house, a woman ran outside, grabbed two children and ran back inside with them in her arms.

"Not particularly friendly," Jane said.

"We're strangers," Daria replied. "Strangers are dangerous, especially now. Don't expect friendly greetings around here."

After a few minutes, they saw no more houses and the trees got thicker, as did the shadows. Jane tensed up and said, "I don't like this."

"We're bound to come out in a clearing soon, Jane."

"Something doesn't feel right to me, Daria. Go slow."

For the next several minutes, Daria drove over the roads at 25 miles per hour and even slower around the curves.

When they rounded one large curve, Daria slammed on the brakes and the SUV stopped 10 feet from the broken edge of the road where a bridge once stood. Thirty feet away was the other broken edge of the road, which went around another curve. The level of the creek was at least 40 feet below the road. "I don't think this was washed away, Jane."

"No," Jane said in agreement. "It's too high off the creek level for a flash flood to get it. I think it was blown up. Look at the blast damage to the trees around it." 

"A trap?" Daria asked as she looked around quickly. She pulled her pistol out and laid it on her lap.

"Possibly," Jane said and gripped her pistol tightly. "Back up carefully."

As Daria backed up the SUV, several armed men and women came out from behind different trees.

"Shit!" Jane rolled down her window and said, "Turn us around, Daria! Get us out of here!"

Daria sped up her reverse and spun the steering wheel to turn around. The back of the vehicle went into the grassy side of the road and she shifted gears into drive.

A man and a woman ran up towards the back of the SUV as Daria floored the accelerator. The rear tires spun and threw gravel and mud at them and stopped their run. The man fell to his knees and covered his face, while the woman wiped at her eyes.

One woman appeared near Jane and leveled what looked like an assault rifle towards them. Before she could do anything else, Jane lifted her pistol in both hands and fired two shots into her chest. As she fell back, the woman's finger tightened on her trigger and she sprayed the area behind her. That caused several others in the group to drop down for cover.

Daria sped away as a few people shot at them from behind. One bullet hit a taillight, and Jane leaned out the window to empty her pistol at them. Then she fell back into her seat and rolled up the window.

Neither girl said anything as Daria drove back towards the highway. As they approached the stop sign, Daria gave Jane a weak smile and said, "I'll try the other way, Jane."

Jane breathed heavily as she reloaded the .357. "I'm going to be ready in case we run into more assholes."

"What do you think they wanted? Seeing that there were women among them, they just would have wanted our stuff, wouldn't they? You think they would have left us alone?"

Jane looked at Daria as if she had suddenly started speaking in ancient Greek. "Daria," she said slowly. "Women can be just as cruel as men when it comes to dishing out a world of hurt. I really don't want to find out just how cruel. Neither do you. Trust me on that one."

Daria said nothing for a few seconds, then replied, "I'll take your word on it."

They drove on. 


	13. Chapter 13

They said nothing as they passed more and more farms. The majority of them appeared to be evacuated, with several also looking looted. As they passed a cemetery, they heard a loud boom and Jane looked around. "What was that?"

"Sounded like thunder to me," Daria said. "See any storm clouds?"

Jane opened the window and leaned her head out briefly to look around. She came back in, closed the window and said, "Rain coming up from our right. Pretty heavy, too, from the looks of it."

"Crap!" Daria muttered and sped up. "As much as I hate to say it, we're going to have to ask someone for shelter until we can figure out if this rain is radioactive or not."

Jane pointed at a farmhouse with the doors all opened. "Pull into that barn. I don't think anyone's here to give us any grief."

"Place looks deserted," Daria said as she drove up the driveway.

"It also looks looted, too," Jane said. "Once you get in the barn, we'll check it out, then if we get a chance, check out the house, too."

Daria carefully pulled the SUV into the barn. Once inside, they found that the barn could be more accurately called a garage. The inside walls were painted white and from what they could see in the darkness was decorated with a lot of posters. The floor was all concrete, smooth except at the entrance. A car in the back of the garage had a cover over it, and there were also several different lawnmowers, two 4-wheelers and two snowmobiles. A loft area over the covered car held several dozen cardboard boxes of various sizes as well as a dozen plastic totes.

Daria stepped out with the Geiger counter and began checking out the interior. As she did so, the rain slowly began and intensified.

Jane stepped out as well, stretched and flicked a nearby light switch. Several fluorescent light bulbs turned on and Daria stopped, then looked at her.

"Lane, you should let me scan this place before you go putting your hands everywhere. You might end up 'hotter' than you want to be."

"Oh? Have you found anything hot yet?"

"No." Daria moved to Jane and ran the probe near her right hand, then scanned where she was at. "So far so good."

Jane looked at the loft area. "Pity there's no hay up there in the loft." She laughed and smiled. "Boy, does that bring back memories."

"You made out in a hay loft?" Daria asked and glanced at Jane. "Doesn't sound like a very fun place to fool around in."

"Don't knock it till you try it, Morgendorffer."

Daria gave her a small smile and shook her head. "And here I thought you lived a clean and chaste life."

"Whoever told you that crap?" Jane asked and laughed again. "I didn't spend all my time on communes making sacks and composting. Hey, I have an idea, Daria. Since you haven't made out in a hay loft, we can scrounge up some hay, take it up there with us, then try it out. You might like it."

"I'm still armed, Jane. Don't make me shoot your ass." She continued scanning the barn's interior.

Finally after several more minutes, Daria stopped and turned to Jane. "It's clean in here at least." Lightning struck several miles away and the thunder reached them. "No leaks either, from what I can tell. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this place is insulated. In fact, the interior looks a lot better than its outside does. Who would insulate a barn?"

Jane pointed at the covered car. "I think that's a Chevy Camaro Z28. Probably in...um...probably in...oh, what word describes condition?"

"Pristine?"

Jane smiled and said, "Yeah, that's the word! Apparently, this person loved his car." Then Jane sang, off key, "'_I'm in love with my car. Gotta feel for my automobile..._'"

"Queen just called," Daria said and rolled her eyes. "They want their song back."

"Very funny. Seriously, I'd say this guy really took care of his car. Probably took better care of it than he did his family."

"I can imagine," Daria said and they looked out the open barn door. The downpour continued with occasional streaks of lightning lighting up the area She looked carefully at the house and thought a second. "I'm not too sure that the house has been looted. There's no broken glass."

"They probably hurried away, worried about radiation perhaps."

A rumble of thunder reached them and Daria leaned back against a wall. "Looks like we aren't going to get a chance to check out the house yet."

"I hope it isn't too long," Jane said and crossed her arms over her chest. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Same here," Daria said. "Let's check out the rest of the barn."

Daria opened a door halfway into the barn, smiled and looked back at Jane, who was trying to open a door on the other side of the barn. "Dibs on bathroom!" Then she rushed inside, shut the door behind her and locked it.

Jane rushed up and banged on the door. "Daria! That's not fair! I really have to go! You'll stink it up!"

"La, la, la la la," Daria's muffled voice reached her ears. "I can't hear you."

"Daria, I'll kick your ass!"

After a few minutes, Daria came out with a smirk on her face and Jane glared at her. "It's about time."

"I had to scan the toilet and the water, Jane. Better to be safe than have really 'hot buns'."

"Yeah, right.." She pinched her nose shut and muttered, "I wish Linda gave us a gas mask, too."

A few minutes later, Jane came out with a relieved look on her face. "Let's check the other doors out together, Daria. That way you won't surprise me again."

"You make me sound so evil." Daria looked up at her with a contented smile on her face. "I must be doing it right, then."

They went to the door next to the bathroom and Jane tried the knob. It was locked and Jane reached up above the door frame. "Nothing here," she said and stood on her tiptoes to look above a cuckoo clock nearby. "Ah, here we go." She pulled the key down and stuck it in the lock. "It fits."

"Will you open it up already?" Daria said as she readied the Geiger counter in her hands.

"Patience, _chica_, patience." Jane unlocked the door, opened it and whistled. The room looked like a bedroom, with a king-sized bed in one corner, a couch alongside a nearby wall and an entertainment center set up on the wall opposite the couch. NASCAR posters shared wall space with _Playboy_ centerfold pin-ups.

Jane and Daria walked in and looked in amazement. "Wonder why he set this up out here?" Daria asked. "Why not have a 'dream' room in the house?"

Jane pointed at one centerfold and said, "Probably wasn't allowed to have 'that' up in the house." She looked at the woman in the picture and added, "You know that she has to suffer from backaches."

Daria looked at the pin-up and said, "I wonder if she was a cheerleader in high school."

Jane looked at Daria. "I know what you're thinking, but Brittany has too much class to do something like this. I hope."

Daria shook her head. "I'd hate to ask what kind of movies this guy had. Probably all triple X rated."

A rumble of thunder reached them as Jane moved over to a DVD and VHS-tape stand. "Let's see..._Deep Throat_..._Debbie Does Dallas_...oh! Daria! We're in luck!"

"If you say _Debbie Does Highland _or _Debbie Does Lawndale_, I'm going to scream."

"Oh, hush, you. It's something much better than _that_."

"What is it?" Daria asked and moved up to her.

Jane held up two DVDs. "The best of _Sick, Sad World_."

Daria looked behind them and said, "This place also has a kitchenette with it." She laughed briefly. "The ultimate 'bachelor' pad. Now we're definitely in luck. All we need is some microwave popcorn, some Ultra Cola and we can watch some 'quality' entertainment." She started moving around with the Geiger counter. "Why don't you close the door? That way, if anyone drives by, they won't see the SUV. I'll scan the room while you do that."

"O.K.," Jane said and went back out to the barn entrance; she looked outside as the rain continued in its downpour and shivered. Then she pulled the door down, locked it and walked back to the bedroom, shutting off the barn lights as she did so. When she got back in the room, she hung a thick blanket over the window and positioned it on the curtain rod. "We're ready to relax. Find anything yet.

Daria looked in the open refrigerator door and said, "Yeah, come over and look at this."

Jane walked over and stared in the refrigerator. "Ultra Cola...in glass bottles? Isn't that kind of...old?"

"You can still get them at a few supermarkets," Daria said, "and at some Ultra Cola bottling plants. But they're expensive. A carton of eight bottles runs about the same price of a case of canned cola."

"So the guy who lived here is very well off. I see that he also liked his beer, too. He also had onion dip. So what kind of snacks did he have?"

Daria opened one cabinet. "Chips, crackers, candy bars. The important stuff, of course. We have four of the five important food groups represented here."

"What's the fifth group?" Jane asked.

"Pizza, the tip top of the pyramid." Daria stopped, sighed and smiled. "If that oven works and he has the right kind of pan, we can fix a pizza from one of the kits."

Jane's face lit up. "Let's make some popcorn first and watch a few of the shows. Then we can make a pizza."

Within five minutes, Daria and Jane sat on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on the couch between them and each of them holding a bottle of cola. Jane pushed the "enter" button and the show started.

"_They haunted his house and cured his backache! Chiropractic Poltergeists, next, on Sick, Sad World."_

Daria and Jane looked at each other, smiled and touched their bottles together in a small toast, then settled back to watch the show.

As the DVD ended, Jane yawned and stretched. "I don't think I can eat a pizza right now, Daria," she said. "It's past nine, if that clock is right."

Daria got up and checked the window's lock. "You want to sleep first?" she asked.

Jane blinked her eyes. "I guess. You'll be O.K. to stay up?"

Daria nodded and said, "I want to write a little bit. I'm still a little worked up."

"You just want to watch some of the porn without me," Jane said with a smile.

"I'd rather wait until we're both up to check that out." She looked down for several seconds, then glanced at Jane again. "I have a question for you. I hope you don't mind."

"You're my best friend, Daria. Why would I mind?"

Daria sighed. "It's...personal." She leaned back on the couch. "Oh, well. Where did you learn...to fight, to shoot people?"

Jane looked at Daria silently for several seconds, laughed briefly, then spoke. "People think that hippies are all just love and peace. That's not totally true, though a lot of them are. There was one guy named Rook who was a bully at the commune, beat his girlfriend up a lot, pushed others around, a real asshole. Then he tried to beat up old Socrates."

"Socrates?" Daria asked.

"That was what he was called. He always asked questions, made you think about what you did or said. He was, oh, 50 or 60 years old. Rook was almost 30 and thought he was top dog. He attacked Socrates and the old man beat him to a pulp. Then they threw Rook out."

"That doesn't tell me..."

"Hush, Daria, I'm not finished yet. Socrates took me and a few others out to explore the countryside one day. We came across a group of men who had been drinking and had abducted a girl from a nearby town. She was tied up and they were getting more and more drunk. They hadn't done anything to her yet, but we could hear her cry and beg and we could also hear...their laughter and their plans. Old Socrates pulled an Ingram M-10 out of his poncho, ran right in the middle of them and started shooting. He shot one in the ass, creased one guy's scalp and they all took off like jackrabbits." Jane smiled at the memory. "We untied the girl and took her back to the commune with us and got her home.

"What shocked me the most was that he had a gun at a commune. I found out that he had fought in Vietnam. He taught us how to shoot guns, but was really big on gun safety. He kept saying that we may never need a gun, but it never hurt to know, either."

Daria sighed. "You knew something was wrong on that road."

"I can't explain that one. I just...something didn't feel right to me. Maybe I'm psychic."

"More like psycho."

Jane laughed. "Yeah, that, too." She stood up and stretched again. "Nighty-nite, _amiga_. I love you."

Daria looked up at her. "You haven't said that since the day it all started."

"I know. I just wanted to say it again."

Daria looked away and blushed. "You're putting me on the spot, Jane."

"You said it pretty easily on that day."

"I also thought we might die on that day, too."

Jane knelt on one knee in front of Daria. "You have nothing to be ashamed of with me. I'm not going to try and embarrass you, at least no more than I usually do."

Daria gave her a small smile. "That really comforts me no end. O.K., I love you, too. Just don't make me say it too much."

Jane smiled. "That wasn't so hard now, was it? Now if I could just get you to add the word 'Trent' to that, you'd be cured."

"You won't be after I'm through with you."

Jane laughed and hugged Daria quickly. "Good night, Daria."

"Good night, Jane. Don't snore."


	14. Chapter 14

Within 10 minutes, Jane was full asleep and breathing lightly. To Daria's surprise, she wasn't snoring, but she was cuddled up under the thick black comforter. _I have a feeling that this bed has seen more action than I want to know about_, she thought. _Hopefully, he kept it at least a little clean_.

She found a mostly-used legal pad on top of the entertainment center and took it back to the couch with her. She could still hear the rain and adjusted the lamp so that its light wouldn't bother Jane. Then she started writing.

**oooooooooo**

When Jane stirred, she listened to see if she could hear Daria. She heard light snoring coming from the couch and got out of bed.

Daria was sitting upright on the couch, her head leaned back and her mouth partially opened. The legal pad was in her left hand and an ink pen laid beside her on the couch.

Jane gently touched Daria's right shoulder and the petite brunette jumped in shock, suddenly wide awake.

"Omigod! I fell asleep! Jane, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

Jane gave her a small smile and said, "Come on, Daria, let's go to bed."

"I didn't mean to endanger us like that! Oh, shit, I can't believe I did something stupid like that! I'm so sorry!"

"Daria, calm down! It's O.K. It's O.K. Go. To. Bed. Now."

"Oh? Are you staying up now?" Daria looked at the clock. "It's only 1 a.m."

"No. I'm laying back down. We both need to rest."

"What about our security? We've been sleeping in shifts since it all started."

Jane helped Daria to her feet and led her to the bed. "I've been sleeping lightly more and more lately. Every time you made a noise the last three times I've slept, I've heard it. Maybe I can get a little more rest this way. Besides, it's chilly and we can share body heat this way."

Daria blushed and stopped. Jane looked at her and laughed gently. "I don't want to make out, Morgendorffer. I want to sleep. If you want to do that, you have to wait until we're both wide awake and we can watch one of those porno films for pointers."

"I am sleepy," Daria said and yawned. "So I'll kick your butt later for that crack."

Jane guided her to the bed, removed her glasses, holster and pistol and helped her take off her boots. Daria moved under the thick comforter and sighed from the warmth. Then Jane set the glasses and weapon near where Daria could reach them and also laid down herself nearby. She said quietly, "Good night, Daria."

"Good night, Jane."

"You know, this might be dangerous for me. You might suddenly think I'm Trent during the night and rip off my clothes."

"If I rip off your blouse, Lane, it'll be to use it as a tourniquet for your neck. Go to sleep."

Jane smiled, laid still and listened. After a couple of minutes, Daria settled into a breathing pattern and lightly snored again. She smiled and closed her eyes.

**oooooooooo**

Jane opened her eyes and laid still as she gathered her bearings. The bombs, Larry Carter, the church, the house, Linda Griffin, the garage. But through it all, Daria. She smiled and felt the heat of Daria's back against hers. "Sorry about this, _amiga_," she whispered and got up. She stretched her arms and legs and looked at the clock. 6:15 a.m. "Man, this war has screwed up my sleeping habits."

She quietly went to the bathroom for several minutes, then retrieved one of the pizza kits from the SUV. "Pizza for breakfast, the ultimate sign of civilization," she said as she looked at the box and laughed briefly. "Have to tell Daria that one."

**oooooooooo**

_Daria found herself in a school gym that had been converted into a makeshift hospital ward. She could see people in white tending to patients, but none were close enough for her see any details of their faces._

_She came to one bed and gasped at the sight of Sam Griffin. Only a couple patches of hair remained on his head and his face was blotchy and covered with sores. His eyes were white; the irises had totally lost their color._

_Daria moved from bed to bed, past people she knew, all suffering in the advanced stages of radiation sickness. She saw Chris and Sandi Griffin, Stacey Rowe (she still had one pigtail, but had lost virtually all her hair) and Tiffany Blum-Deckler. Tom Griffin was in a bed next to Tiffany, but the only way she identified him was by the toe tag that stuck out from the covering sheet along with his right foot._

_The next bed held Quinn. She was totally bald, her breath ragged and she appeared very pale. Blood was on her lips and chin and an emesis basin near her had just been used. By the bedside were Jake and Helen, both in their normal workday suits. Daria moved beside them and they glanced at each other briefly and nodded, then looked back at Quinn._

_Daria looked towards her parents again, but they weren't there. She looked at the next bed and saw Helen there, no longer in her suit, but in a gown and also showing the signs of advanced radiation sickness. "Mommy," she whispered and reached for her hand._

_A gurney with a covered body caught her attention; the attendant pushing it stopped in front of her. Daria uncovered it and saw the body of Jake Morgendorffer, who appeared to have suffered a fatal heart attack. One hand clutched his chest and the other hand held a remote control. Then the body and its features changed to that of Robert Cord, whose eyes opened and stared at Daria._

_She gasped and turned to run and came to another bed. The cover came off by itself and she froze in shock at the sight of Jane Lane's naked body, covered with at least two dozen bullet holes. Even her right eye had been shot out. Her body was marble white in color and the sheets beneath her were soaked in blood. "Jane, no, Jane, no, no, no, no, please, no..."_

_An unseen hand swung her around and she saw another bed. Carefully, she moved to it and the cover again came off by itself and she saw her own body, as naked as Jane's, with about as many bullet holes. The body and sheets were the same colors as the previous time._

"_No," she whispered and her body's eyes opened and stared at her. Daria looked down quickly and saw that she was naked, covered with bullet holes and bleeding uncontrollably._

**oooooooooo**

Jane heard the blood-curdling scream and froze briefly. "Oh, shit," she said and ran for the bedroom.

Daria was wide awake and upright in the bed, shivering. Jane quickly moved beside her and was surprised when she was grabbed in a tight embrace.

"What happened, Daria?" she asked.

"A horrible nightmare, worst one that I've ever had." Daria looked as if she were on the verge of tears and she related the dream in a halting, frightened voice. She ended the tale with, "What if this dream is an omen?"

Jane's expression reflected her shock. "Daria, that isn't like you. It was just a dream. It's over. It was just a dream."

"I want to go on today, I want to leave today." She looked down and muttered, "I want my mom."

Jane wrapped her arms around Daria and rocked her gently. "We'll leave after breakfast, O.K.? Why don't you lay back down and let me fix us a meal? Just relax and let yourself gather your bearings."

Daria nodded. "O.K.," she said and released Jane. She laid back down and Jane got up and walked to the kitchenette. She picked up the pizza kit box and read the instructions.

She looked back at Daria, who was now cuddled in a fetal position under the blankets. She smiled at her and sighed. Then she turned back to the pizza box and read the instructions carefully again. As Jane searched the cabinets for the dishes she needed, she heard a light snoring come from the bed.

**oooooooooo**

Daria opened her eyes and breathed in through her nose for several seconds. "Why didn't wait for me to get up?" she asked groggily. "I would have helped you." She sat up as Jane brought her a plate with two slices of a simple pepperoni pizza on it. She took the plate, smiled and said, "Thank you."

"You fell back asleep, Daria." Jane sat beside her. "I wanted you to get a little more rest. Besides, you served me breakfast in bed once. I owed you a return favor."

"You were actually on a couch, Jane, not a bed," she said and took a big bite of her pizza. "Not that it matters much. Aren't you going to eat?"

Jane nodded and handed her a bottle of water. "I'll be back." She got up and got herself a plate with two slices on it. As she returned to the bed, she sat back down beside Daria and began eating as well. After a minute of uninterrupted eating, she asked, "Do you want to talk about Quinn or your folks?"

Daria swallowed her food and looked down. "I miss them," she said quietly. "I miss them so much, it actually hurts me." She closed her eyes. "I want to tell them how much I love them and need them." She sniffled.

Jane nodded in understanding. "Trent knows I love him. I miss him, too." She looked back at the rest of the pizza. "Let's get finished and we can go on. How's that sound?"

Daria gave Jane a weak smile. "If I had been alone when it all started...I think I'd be dead right now. You have kept me alive."

Jane wrapped her arm around Daria. "We've kept each other, Daria. We've kept each other alive."


	15. Chapter 15

When they finished breakfast, Daria cleaned herself up while Jane searched the garage and bedroom for any items of use. As she grabbed several DVDs and put them in a plastic bag, the lights blinked for several seconds, then came back on. Jane looked at the lights curiously, shrugged and moved to the refrigerator.

Daria walked in the room and said, "Hey, Jane--" The lights shut off again, this time for nearly 10 seconds, then came back on. "--never mind. What are we 'claiming' this time around?"

"I got the _Sick, Sad World_ shows, as well as a few of the adults movies, so we can test your knowledge of sex."

"You mean test _your_ knowledge of sex, Lane. We don't have a DVD player, unless..." Daria saw the player and the TV waiting by the door. "...never mind. I see you're taking care of the Ultra Cola, also. You do realize that if we're stopped by the U.S. Army, we might end up arrested as looters, don't you?"

"How would they prove it, Daria? If we had six TVs and boxes of DVDs, I could see it. Right now, we look like people taking off with our property. It'll look as if we're taking off with our 'prized' possessions. In fact, you should have a teddy bear. That'll make that story seem more believable."

"I don't have a teddy bear."

Jane held up her right index finger. "That's my point. Get a teddy bear, that way when the Army does pull us over, you hold the bear up to your chest and unbutton your blouse and give the soldier a seductive look.."

Daria lifted her glasses, closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't make me hit you. That sounds like one of your fantasies, not mine."

Jane stopped for a second, thought and nodded. "You're right. Skip what I said _I'll_ do that one."

"You're nuts, Lane. Absolutely nuts."

"Well, duh."

"Well, let's check out the house and see what's available. Maybe you'll find your teddy bear."

Jane carried the TV and the plastic bag, while Daria carried the DVD player. They deposited the items in the SUV, then Daria retrieved the Geiger counter.

They opened the garage door and Daria stepped outside to start her scanning routine. Jane watched in silence, her pistol in her right hand, as Daria did her work over the ground.

"Good," Daria said. "Good...good...good...good...oh, crap."

Jane was suddenly alert. "What? What is it?"

"Some sort of animal poop. Watch where you step."

"Damn, Daria, I thought you found some radioactivity."

Daria turned her head slightly and smiled at Jane. "Well, if you do step in it, you will 'radiate' something badly and will have to 'decontaminate' yourself." She turned back around and continued her slow, careful move towards the house.

"Whatever." Jane turned and looked down the road. The sunshine filtering through the new leaves and branches gave the place a peaceful look. She noted that the recent snowfall didn't seem to affect the leaves much and that surprised her. She smiled as she heard a sound to her left. When she turned to look, she saw a pack of eight dogs running towards them. "Daria!" She lifted and cocked the pistol. "Watch out!"

Daria turned quickly, saw the dogs, and turned to run back towards the garage.

Jane shot a German shepherd that was in the lead; the others bypassed its fallen body and continued their run. "Oh, hell!" she muttered and fired twice more. Two more dogs fell, but the others still ran at them.

A pit bull terrier dove at Daria's back and tackled her in the gravel. She cried out as she fell and dropped the Geiger counter. Before the dog could clamp onto her with its powerful jaws, however, Jane shot it in the head and knocked its body off the downed girl.

Daria pulled her pistol free from its holster and turned over. Another German shepherd lunged at her with a growl. Before she could shoot, it was on her; Daria held its neck as it tried to snap at her. One of the dog's front paws dug at her neck.

In her panic, Daria heard Jane shoot the pistol again and again. She cried out as the paw hit her neck again. _Oh, God! Oh, God! NO! _Finally, she managed to cock her pistol, rammed the barrel against the dog's trunk, and fired the weapon.

The dog fell off of her as if it were pushed away. She shook, sobbed and panted in terror as she sat back up and looked at the dead dogs all around them.

Jane was by her side and helped her to her feet. "Daria! Did any of them bite you?"

"I...I don't think so." She shook as she stood and looked at the dead animals.

"Your neck's bleeding," Jane said.

"Dammit! That scared the shit out of me!" She looked at the pistol in her hand as she shook.

Jane looked her over, grimaced and gave her a weak smile. "Speaking of which, you 'radiate' something awful."

"Huh?" Daria looked at the front of her shirt and pants. "Shit!"

"Precisely. We're not leaving yet. You need to change clothes, get cleaned up and I need to treat that neck injury. I also need to make sure you're not hurt anywhere else."

Daria bent down to retrieve the Geiger counter and grimaced in pain as she pulled herself back upright. _Great, now my back's hurt, too_. "Wouldn't that be ironic?"

"What?"

"To survive a nuke bombing, plus dealing with rapists and murderers only to be killed and eaten by dogs."

"Better than being eaten by humans," Jane replied.

"Not necessarily. It'd still be a sucky way to die."

Jane glanced at the bodies and said, "What I don't get is how they kept on coming after I shot the first one. I always thought that dogs were scared of guns."

"These weren't. I'd say they've gotten used to guns in the last week. They may have already...eaten armed people before."

"Damn," Jane said and shuddered. Then she looked at Daria and added, "Let's get you 'decontaminated' so you'll stop 'radiating' that smell."

"Remember when I threatened to feed you to big, ugly dogs?"

Jane shut the garage door behind them and locked it. "Which time? The time I teased you about Trent, or the time I teased you about Trent? Or was it the time I teased you about Trent?"

"I was going to take back that threat, but now I think I'll just tie you down outside and call for more dogs."

Jane smiled. "So you want to tie me up, huh, Daria? Sounds a little...fun."

Daria grimaced from the pain in her back. _Damned dog did something to me_, she thought. _I hope it's not too bad_. "Lane, I know I said it before, but you're nuts."

"I know. That's what endears me to you."

"Well, if you're going to be nuts, Jane, I might as well be nuts with you." She grimaced again. "My back really hurts, Jane. You need to check it out."

Jane holstered her weapon and took the Geiger counter out of Daria's hands. "Why don't you take this shit off out here and get in the shower?" Then she laughed. "Did you like that one? 'Take off your shit'? Get it?"

"I get it, Jane." Daria rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I just don't want to get it." She started undressing and looked at Jane, who stood in front of her. "Don't watch me while I undress."

"I'm waiting to see your back, Daria. Besides, what's the big deal? We've seen each other naked in gym class before. As well as every other girl in the class."

"I don't make it a habit of looking at the other girls when they're naked, thank you."

"Says you. Or maybe you like to look at boys and their naked bodies instead. Or better yet, Trent's body."

Daria crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm going to kill you. Slowly and painfully."

Jane clapped her hands once. "Come on, Daria. If you're bleeding, then let's get it taken care of."

"Oh, all right." Daria unbuttoned her blouse.

"Da-da-da-da-da," Jane sounded out in a pseudo-burlesque striptease style. "Woo, woo! Yeah, baby, take it off. Woo!"

Daria stopped and blushed. "Forget the big, ugly dogs. I'm feeding you to lions, tigers and bears."

"Oh, my," Jane said and laughed. "Sorry. I'll stop."

Daria removed her blouse and turned around to let Jane see her back. After several seconds of silence, she said, "Well? What do you see? How bad is it?"

"I'm counting your moles and back pimples."

"JANE!"

"Wait a sec here, Daria. I'm connecting the dots and seeing what it spells. Let's see...I...L...O...V...E..."

"Stop."

"T."

"Jane, I'm serious."

"R."

"I'm going to box you up and mail you to Yemen."

"E."

"Book rate. I'm mailing you book rate."

"N."

"With no air holes. And all your dirty underwear."

"T."

"What's wrong with me, dammit?"

"I don't have that kind of degree, _amiga_," Jane said.

"O.K., smart ass, what's wrong with my back?"

"That pit bull must have gotten you with one of his front paws. You have a tear near your right shoulder blade, about three inches long."

Daria stood there in silence and looked down. Finally, she said, "It hurts like hell. Is it red around the tear?"

"It's still bleeding. Your blouse is torn and blood is all over your back and your bra."

Daria sighed and bent over, her hands on her knees. "I meant the skin itself, Jane, not the blood."

Jane grabbed a paper towel from a nearby workbench and dabbed the area around the tear. "No. But you need to strip the rest of the way and get cleaned up. _I'll_ deal with your back."

Quietly, Daria removed the rest of her clothes and walked into the bathroom. Jane followed her in and started the water. As they waited for it to warm up, Daria glanced at her and took off her glasses. "Do I need sewed up?"

Jane shook her head, took the glasses and laid them on the sink. "I don't think so, or at least, I hope not. Remember, I'm not a doctor, I just play one on TV."

"Oh, yeah, I saw that. You were the proctologist on _As the Stomach Churns_." She stepped into the shower and closed the curtain.

"I'll soap up your back, Daria!" Jane yelled over the sound of the water. She waited quietly for several minutes, then Daria's right hand came out from around the curtain. She gripped the soap in her dripping fingers and Jane took it. She soaped up Daria's back, made her rinse it off, then repeated the procedure three more times. Then she turned off the water and said to her naked friend, "You wait here and I'll get you a towel."

"Where else can I go?"

Jane smirked and said, "I know you. You'd run outside naked if you thought that Trent would see you in your birthday suit."

"You have to sleep sometime, Lane." She sighed and grimaced in pain. "Just go. I'll wait for you."

Jane retrieved a towel and a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the SUV, then stepped back in the bathroom. Daria had already turned her back towards the door and accepted the towel when it was handed to her. "Dry your front side, Daria. I'll work on your back while you're doing that." Then she proceeded to open the alcohol bottle and poured a liberal amount on a washcloth and slapped it on her friend's back.

Daria cried out in shock and pain and gasped as she hit her palms against the shower stall wall. "You didn't warn me!"

"I'm sorry, Daria. I just hope I don't have to sew it up." She cleaned Daria's back and held the washcloth on the injury. "I'll get to your neck as well, but it's stopped bleeding for now. Now dry the rest of your front off."

Daria obeyed her friend and sighed as Jane led her back to the bedroom and the bed itself.

"Lay on your stomach, Daria." Daria did so and Jane moved the washcloth. Carefully, Jane dried off her back near the tear and vigorously dried off the rest of her backside.

"You're probably enjoying this right now," Daria said.

"Actually, I'm scared that you might fart on me," Jane said and laid the towel aside. She retrieved the first aide kit and pulled out antibiotic salve, a bandage and some tape. Carefully, she inspected the injury and applied the salve to it. Then she laid the bandage on top of it and taped it down. "Now, turn onto your left side and let me take care of your neck. Then I'll look for a camera to take pictures for your _Playboy_ spread."

Daria turned on her side and said nothing and Jane looked at her quietly for several seconds. Then she gently patted her friend's side.

Jane quietly cleaned up and bandaged the neck wound as well and said, "You just relax some more and I'll check out your clothes. I may just need to throw them away, especially if they don't have a washing machine in the house."

Daria lifted her face off the comforter. "You can toss my blouse, but not my underwear nor my jeans."

"If we can't wash them..."

"Put 'em in a plastic bag and tie 'em up."

Jane moved to the door and said, "Just relax, Daria. Just relax. I'll be right back." She left the bedroom.


	16. Chapter 16

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Jane returned to the bedroom and laid some clothes on the bed. "We can still go if you want to, Daria, or we can stay awhile. I'll leave it up to you."

Daria got out of bed and grabbed the panties. She sighed and put them on. "We leave, but check out the house first. You're going to have to help me with my bra. I don't want to chance making that tear any bigger."

Jane watched as she started putting the bra on, then moved in when Daria was ready and hooked it together.

"Did you see what kind of music this guy had?" Daria asked. "I'm in the mood for something funny or stupid."

"He had some Ray Stevens and Weird Al tapes."

Daria pulled on the blue jeans, zipped them up and buttoned them. "I don't care for country much, but Ray Stevens is funny. Let's take them all." She then pulled on a T-shirt that advertised Six Flags Great Adventure theme park and looked down at it. "I can't believe I chose this thing at the church."

Jane smiled at her. "When things calm down, we need to go to a theme park. Someplace where we can be silly, have fun and can let our guard down."

Daria picked up the holster Jane had laid in the bedroom, made sure that none of the animal waste she had fallen in was on it, and put it on. "My pistol?" she asked. When Jane handed it to her, she held it in her hand against her chest. "I will never go unarmed again, Jane. Never. I doubt that theme parks will let me in with it." She looked away. "I don't know if I could ever do something like that anyway. Too much has happened and too much water has flowed under the bridge." She holstered the weapon, then put on her boots.

"It was just an idea, Daria."

Daria gave her a small smile. "I know." She moved up to Jane and hugged her. She smiled even more when Jane returned the hug.

A search of the house revealed that the occupants had left and in a hurry. The dressers had been cleaned out, as well as most of the food. The girls found barely enough food to fill an average plastic Payday bag. The real treat came when they found the washing machine and dryer. Before they left, Daria washed her waste-smeared clothes, as well as any dirty clothes they had from before.

**oooooooooo**

Two hours later, they left the house and drove further down the county road. In the distance, they could hear gunshots, but it was impossible to tell whether it was for hunting, fighting or goofing off.

The woods would thin out occasionally in cleared out areas or valleys where they passed homes. As in the woods, some of the homes were occupied and others not.

Jane grabbed a Weird Al tape and put in the SUV's tape player. When the song _Gotta Boogie_ played, she looked at Daria and said, "Ugh."

Daria shook her head. "Definitely a man's song."

They heard _I Love Rocky Road_ and _Buckingham Blues_, then Weird Al launched into his version of _Happy Birthday_.

As the song continued, Jane asked, "What's Cycle 4?"

"I don't know," Daria asked. "Maybe a pet food. How old's the tape?"

Jane glanced at it. "1983."

Then they heard Weird Al suddenly start singing about World War III, with people being turned into crispy critters and other asides about the subject.

Daria ejected the tape, opened the window and threw it outside. "I cannot laugh at that, not now, probably not ever."

Jane grabbed a Ray Stevens tape. "Let's try this one."

As they listened, _The Streak_ came on and they smiled as they continued on.

A half-hour after they had left the house, they came to another dog pack, feeding on something that had been run down. Daria stopped a hundred yards from the pack and asked, "What are they eating?"

Jane pulled the .10 gauge shotgun out of the backseat and opened her window. "I'll find out." She leaned out the window, aimed the shotgun and fired.

The shot hit two of the dogs. One fell dead and the other yelped in pain and ran in circles nearby. The other dogs ignored what had just happened and continued to feed.

Jane looked carefully and dropped back into the vehicle. As she closed the window, she said, "It's a big animal, deer, horse, maybe even a cow. I can't tell."

Daria put the SUV in park, glared at the animals and pulled her pistol out. "Let's kill them."

Jane put her left hand on Daria's pistol. "We can't kill every wild dog out there, Daria."

"No, we can't," Daria said in agreement. She pulled the .357 and her arm free. "But we might be saving some little boy or little girl somewhere a nasty death. We might even be saving ourselves from a later dog attack. We [ican[/i kill these bastards." She stepped out of the SUV.

Jane watched for a second as Daria braced herself and shot the pistol at the animals. "Oh, boy," she muttered, reloaded the shotgun and got out herself.

By Daria's third shot, she had only hit one dog. After her second miss, she said, "Crap. I can't seem to shoot straight."

"I can," Jane said as she shouldered the shotgun stock, cocked it, aimed and fired.

Three more dogs fell before the others took off at a run. One stopped about 50 yards away from the dead animals, turned and barked at them.

"Let's go, _amiga_," Jane said gently. "He's too far off."

"Yeah."

They got back in the SUV and continued on their way. Jane took Daria's pistol and reloaded it in silence. She noticed Daria's tense expression and said nothing.

**oooooooooo**

After nearly a half-hour, they came to a small village called Carthage, which consisted of a dozen or more homes scattered around a general store. The store itself was closed and the homes appeared dark. A couple of the homes looked to be looted or otherwise damaged.

On the other side of the village, they came to a rather new Methodist church with a mostly full parking lot and armed guards outside the main doors and in the parking lot. A painted sign hung over the church's marquee and read, "CARTHAGE UMC REFUGEE CENTER. SERVING GOD BY SERVING YOU."

Daria pulled into the parking lot and Jane turned to her quickly. "What's going on, Daria? Why are we stopping?"

"I want to see if they have a doctor here," Daria said as she put the vehicle in park and shut it off. She stared at the church. "See if they can treat me for rabies."

"Rabies? But you weren't bit."

A tear ran down Daria's right cheek. She looked at Jane and took a deep breath. "Dogs are well renowned for licking themselves all over and saliva is a transmission route for rabies. The tear on my back hurts and...and...and I'm scared to death. If they have a doctor here, maybe he or she can start a prophylaxis treatment." More tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm scared, Jane." She tried to hold in her cries. "I'm very scared. Help me."

Jane quickly got out of the SUV, went around to the driver's door and escorted Daria to the church steps, her arm around her friend's shoulders.

A man in blue jeans and a sweater stepped up in front of them. "We're kind of full, ladies. Not much room left."

"We were attacked by dogs," Jane said, "and my friend here was scratched in two places by them. If you have a doctor, we'd really appreciate having him look at her, maybe treat her for rabies, if you can."

The man smiled and took Daria's left arm gently and walked both of them to the front door. "Actually, the doctor's a she. My wife, Kathy. She's a G.P. in Martinsburg, but she's been here to help the community since last Tuesday. How long ago were you attacked?"

"This morning," Daria said as they walked into the church. She wiped her eyes.

At least 100 people were in the church from what the girls could see. Sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, cots and regular mattresses were spread out in a community room and the hallways. The man led them to a door labeled "PASTOR'S OFFICE" and knocked on it. "Kathy? I have a young lady here who needs your help."

The door opened and a small, slender redhead in a white jacket stepped out. "What happened?"

Jane looked at her and said, "We were attacked by a dog pack this morning and Daria was scratched by two different dogs in the attack. We weren't bit, but we wanted to play it safe."

Kathy nodded. "Smart idea, given a dog's reputation for licking everywhere they can, including their paws." She had Daria sit on a picnic table set up as an examining table. "Now where were you scratched besides your neck?"

"My back near my right shoulder blade."

Kathy looked at Jane and said, "If you will excuse us, I'll examine and treat your friend."

Jane started to retort, but Daria touched her left arm, smiled weakly and said, "I'll be O.K., Jane."

The doctor smiled as well and said, "The kitchen is two doors down the hall. There should be something good ready to eat."

"I am hungry," Jane said and patted her belly. "I'll try to save you some food, Daria."

As Jane left, Kathy said, "Your friend's really protective of you."

"We're best friends. We've protected each other, saved each other's lives. If she hadn't been with me this last week..." Daria looked down.

"I understand. Why don't you take off your jacket and your blouse, uh, Daria, right?"

"Yes, that's my name."

"O.K., Daria, call me Kathy. I'm a member of Carthage UMC and I never could stand for them to call me Dr. Wilson."

Daria smiled and removed her jacket, and as a result, exposed the .357 in its holster.

"Why don't you remove your weapon, too, Daria? You won't need it in here."

"It came in real handy when the dogs attacked us," Daria said and unbuckled the holster. She laid it on the jacket. "It also helped in dealing with...bad guys who tried to attack us earlier."

"I understand, Daria. I've seen some of what the 'bad guys' have done already. We have a couple of rape and robbery victims here."

Suddenly, a terrier came out from behind the desk and Daria jumped at its appearance. "It's O.K., Daria. My dog, Benji. He's rather tame and has had all his shots."

Daria removed her blouse, then the doctor removed both bandages and cleaned off the area near the shoulder.

"How did you clean the wounds, Daria?"

"I showered immediately after," Daria said, "and soaped up my neck repeatedly. Jane soaped up my shoulder and rinsed it off several times, then immediately after the shower, she cleaned both off with rubbing alcohol, before coating them with antibiotic salve and bandaging them."

Kathy smiled and nodded. "That does help a lot. While rabies is an important fear, God alone knows what those dogs have run in before you encountered them. It could be several different kinds of fecal matter or any other kind of contaminant. Keeping it clean is the most important thing you can do. You may not actually need the rabies treatment, but we should do it anyway, for safety's sake."

"That's why I came here looking for a doctor. I didn't want to take a chance with rabies."

"You seem to be very smart, Daria. Have you had an immunoglobulin vaccine before? Basically it's a rabies pre-exposure shot, similar to what house pets, such as Benji here, are given."

Daria looked at her and blinked. "No. I didn't know humans could get such a shot."

Kathy shrugged. "Veterinarians and their workers commonly get it, as do some of those who work with animals, like at zoos and nature preserves. Fortunately, for you, Daria, I have ample supplies of immunoglobulin and the rabies vaccine. I'll start by giving you half of the immunoglobulin near the tear on your shoulder and the other half in your left thigh. You need to remove your pants, please."

Daria glanced at her in confusion. "You don't have to give me shots in the belly?"

Kathy shook her head and smiled. "I can do it that way if you want, but it's rather painful."

"Uh, no." She stood up, removed her boots and took off her jeans. "I'll trust your judgment on this one. How did you have ample supplies for rabies?"

"When I was in pre-med, I read a series of survivalist novels." She readied a shot, then prepped a spot near Daria's right shoulder. "In the first novel, right after the war had happened, the main character was attacked by a dog pack. He barely avoided getting bit before shooting the dog." She gave Daria the shot and the teen tensed in response as the medicine was injected into her. "After the events of the last week happened, I worked at the hospital in Martinsburg for two days straight, got as many supplies as I could use and came back to Carthage. I happened to remember...I think his name was Ben Raines...his predicament with the dogs in the novel and decided to be ready for rabies. Given the prevalence of rabies in this part of the U.S. before the war, it doesn't hurt to be ready anyway."

The dog moved up to Daria and stuck his nose against her left knee. She gave the dog an uncertain smile, then nearly jumped as he moved up on her leg for a little "doggy" action.

Kathy grabbed the terrier's collar and said, "Oh, no, you don't," she said and escorted him to a side door. "You wait in the closet until I'm through." She looked back at Daria and said, "Sorry about that, but at least that's a sign he likes you."

"That's O.K.," Daria said and watched as Kathy prepared the second shot. She looked away as the doctor gave it to her intramuscularly in the left thigh. When the needle was pulled away, the doctor rubbed the spot with a cotton swab and said, "Now I have to give you the first of five doses of anti-rabies vaccine, Daria. You and Jane should stay here over the next month, since I have to do this over a 28-day period."

Daria's expression was that of shock and she looked down. Tears filled her eyes. "We've been trying to find our families. We were away from them on the first day and we know they were evacuated from our homes in Baltimore, but we don't know where they are."

Kathy looked at Daria and thought a few seconds. "You'll get the first shot now, but the second one has to be three days from now, the third one in seven days, the fourth on in 14 days and the last in 28 days. Where were you planning to go to look?"

"We were going to try in Frederick first, then go to the north of Baltimore."

"From what I've heard, Frederick is overwhelmed with sick, especially those suffering with radiation sickness." Kathy prepared the rabies vaccine and then gave her the shot. She disposed of the needles, turned to Daria and took the girl's hands in hers. "I want to pray for you, Daria. Will that be a problem for you?"

Daria blinked and felt ashamed at her tears. "No. I'm not a Christian, though, and neither is Jane."

Kathy smiled. "I can still pray for you. I pray for all my patients. It's been a part of my practice since I graduated medical school." The doctor closed her eyes, gripped Daria's hands and said a prayer for Daria's healing, and for hers and Jane's health, protection, and help in finding their families. She also prayed that Daria and Jane would always know the presence of God in their journey.

**oooooooooo**

In what served as a lunch room, Daria found Jane eating a plate full of beef and noodles. She got herself a plate as well and sat down to eat.

"Well, what's the plan, Daria? Are we going to stay the night or try for another place? I think we should at least spend the night."

"We need to stay at least three days, Jane. The rabies vaccine has to be given five times over a 28-day period."

Jane had started to take a bite of food and sat the fork back down. "What? What about finding our families?"

"I have an idea. The second shot has to be in three days. We leave here after I get that shot and try out the Hagerstown or Frederick areas. Then we either try to come back here for my third shot or try to get it there. Kathy said that we could leave and come back for my shots. She's going to prepare a shot record for me on her letterhead to use at other shelters for the other doses."

Jane leaned back and nodded. "I like that idea. I don't like the idea of coming back here, however."

Daria drank some fruit punch. "It beats dying of rabies, Jane."

"True." She held up her cup of punch. "Here's to hoping we don't have to come back."

Daria held up her cup and they touched cups.

"Cheers." they said in unison and smiled.


	17. Chapter 17

Time passed slowly for Daria and Jane at the church. Most of the members were friendly, but mainly concerned with their own problems or those of their loved ones. Others talked with them, either to witness or to check on their well being. A few, however, were hostile and glared at the girls whenever they were near.

Jane would return their glares, stare for stare, but Daria turned away, anxious to avoid a confrontation.

One time when she and Jane were alone, Daria said, "All the discomforts of high school, at no extra charge."

"Most of these people are actually cool, or at least nice," Jane replied, "but I've felt more love and friendliness from Ms Li than I have from some of these others." She saw one man look at her and turned her head away quickly. In a quieter voice, she added, "I have to talk to you about something."

Daria noticed the man's look and Jane's reaction and waited until he left the lunch room. Then she asked, "What happened?"

Jane looked up at her quickly. "What makes you think something happened?"

"You looked away from that man real quick, while you glared at the others. So what happened with him?"

"His name is Keever, Bruce Keever. He...he asked me to meet with him in the back of the graveyard beside the church...for sex."

Daria's eyes opened widely. "He propositioned you?" she asked quietly. "But he has a wife and a kid! I saw them together after dinner last night!"

"I know." Jane shuddered and crossed her arms over her midriff. "I'll be glad when we leave here. When he talked to me, his eyes stayed right on my chest the whole time." She closed her eyes, shook her head and grimaced. "He made me feel dirty, and all he did was look at me and talk."

"Some crappy kind of Christian," Daria muttered and frowned.

"I don't think he is a Christian, Daria. I said something like that to him and he said that he'll worry about that when he becomes one. I think he's here because of his wife and kid."

"Try not to be alone with him," Daria said and reached across the table. She grasped Jane's left hand in her right. "If it weren't for my second rabies shot, we wouldn't even be here. I'm sorry."

Jane gave her a small smile. "It's not your fault, _amiga_," she said. "I'll just make sure we aren't alone anyplace."

"I've had to bite my tongue several times," Daria admitted. "Several times, I've wanted to...be more honest in my words and thoughts. I knew it wouldn't be appreciated..."

"...and you do need the rabies shots," Jane finished for her. "I understand, Daria." Then she smiled. "You owe me big time for this, however."

"Pizzas?"

"At least a year's worth."

Daria returned her smile. "If we find someplace where I can get that many pizzas, I'll buy them."

**oooooooooo**

In the early afternoon hours, Daria assisted a few ladies in cleaning up the kitchen and dining room, while Jane entertained some small children with a puppet show. A young teen who looked to be either 13 or 14, came up to Daria away from a couple of other girls and chomped on her bubble gum loudly.

"Can I, like, ask you a question?" the girl asked.

"You just did," Daria said as she wiped a table down. The girl and her friends briefly reminded her of the Fashion Club.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. What do you want?"

"When you and your friend...um, like, uh, do it, like, what kind of 'dirty' things do you do?"

"Excuse me?" Daria stopped and stared at the girl.

"When you're, like, in bed together. Like, _how_ do you do it? Seeing as you're both girls and all."

Daria blinked, shook her head and sighed. "What makes you think that Jane and I are lesbians?"

The girl blushed and said, "Mrs. Johnson said that you two have, like, secret signals and codes that you use on each other. Love codes, you know."

"Who's Mrs. Johnson?"

"Oh, she's a member of the women's prayer circle. A real old woman, you know. She's been a member, like, forever. She says, like, that she can tell...tell a...lesbian...from a mile away." The girl whispered the word 'lesbian'.

Daria looked at the girl and then at her friends, who watched from across the dining room. "Jane and I are best friends. You have a best friend, don't you?" The girl nodded. "You're best friend is a girl, right?" The girl nodded again. "Does that make you two...lesbians?" The last word was whispered and the girl blushed again and shook her head furiously. "Well, if Jane and I _were_ lesbians, why would we tell you about it? It wouldn't be your business, or Mrs. Johnson's, either."

"I didn't mean to, like, upset you," the girl said quickly and backed up slightly.

"Don't believe everything you hear," Daria said. "I've never heard of any 'secret codes and signals' that people use, except for the Masons."

"Oh, yeah, my daddy's a Mason, you know. Uh, well, thank you."

Daria sat at the table and shook her head as the girl walked away from her. Jane then walked up, two cups of punch in her hands; she conspicuously chomped on her chewing gum, and gave her friend a big smile.

"Like, Daria," she said in mocking voice and handed her one of the cups, "like, you know, what did you two talk about, you know?"

Daria looked over the tops of her glasses at Jane, shook her head and said, "You don't want to know."

Jane sat down and leaned on the table in front of Daria. "Sure I do. That valley girl wannabe and her clique have been eyeing us since we came to this church. So what did you two talk about?"

For several seconds, Daria looked at Jane and then smiled. "She wanted to know what kind of 'dirty' stuff we do together, since we're 'obviously' lesbians."

"We're that obvious?"

"Jane!"

"Really, what makes her think we're lesbians?" Jane leaned forward and whispered, "Maybe she's a mind reader. If that's the case, your thoughts about Trent alone would make her go blind. They nearly make me blind, and I'm just an empath."

"No, I think you're actually a psychopath." Daria took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Or I am after being around you so much. Apparently, one of the old ladies of the church has declared that we're lesbians because of some 'secret codes and signals' we give each other."

"Dang it, why doesn't someone ever tell me what these secret codes and signals are? For all I know I'm 'signaling' you that I want an armadillo pizza with quicksand sauce." Jane put her fingertips on both sides of her head and said, "Are you getting my signals, Daria?"

Daria held in her laughter and smiled as Jane did a poor imitation of the _Twilight Zone _theme while she slowly turned her head back and forth. "Yes, Jane...you're coming through loud and clear...You're saying that you want me to find you a psychiatrist." She lifted her cup of punch to her lips and sipped.

Jane sighed and put her hands on the table. "You see, I knew that nobody ever taught me the codes and signals. I was trying to signal you that our strip Yahtzee game had to be at nine tonight instead of 7:30. You were supposed to bring the whipped cream _and_ the feather duster. Oh, don't forget the midget, either."

Daria laughed then and spewed punch on the table. She covered her mouth quickly with her right hand and finally suppressed her laughter. Then she caught her breath and wiped the spilled punch with her cleaning towel. Under her breath, she said, "I'm going to kick your ass, Jane."

"Such language," Jane whispered, "and in a church. I'm all a-flutter."

Daria stood up. "I have to finish what I'm doing here. I thought you were putting on a puppet show."

"I'm done." Jane smiled again. "I'm not sure they'll want me to do it again."

"Uh, oh, are we in trouble?"

"What? All I did was tell the kids that paint-by-numbers sets were the work of the devil."

"If we get kicked out of here, Lane, you can forget that year's worth of pizza."

"Oh, I'll be good." Jane ran her fingers over her lips, as if she were closing a zipper.

Daria gave her a small smile. "If that actually worked, I would've done that to you many times by now."

**oooooooooo**

Daria sat in the pastor's office on the picnic table as Kathy Wilson looked at her shoulder injury. Jane stood beside her and looked as well.

"I don't like this," Kathy said after a minute.

"What's wrong?" Daria asked.

"Your shoulder injury is inflamed. It's infected."

"I washed it!" Jane protested. "Repeatedly, with lots of soap and water."

"I believe you," Kathy said. "I believe you. Sometimes, an infection can still set in. Daria, were your injuries done by the same dog?"

Daria shook her head. "No. A big, heavy dog got my shoulder and a German shepherd got my neck."

"Well, your neck is doing fine and is looking good. But the dog who tore your back must have had...something on its paw and got it in your back."

"What could it be?" Jane asked.

"Fecal matter, battery acid, any assortment or combinations of chemicals and contaminants. It could even be a fungus or a protozoan." She sighed and readied a washcloth with iodine. "This might sting." She cleaned Daria's back with it and the girl tensed as she did so. She put a new bandage in place and added, "I don't have the laboratory equipment to see what kind of contaminant it is. However, fortunately for you, Daria, I have several different kinds of antibiotics. Do you have any allergies?"

"Not that I know of." Jane started to say something, but Daria turned on her and said, "Don't say it."

Kathy looked over and saw Jane look up at the ceiling innocently, then looked back at Daria. "O.K." She opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle. "Are you taking any medications right now?"

"No," Daria shook her head.

Kathy poured out almost 30 pills and put them in a smaller amber pill bottle. She handed it to Daria and said, "This is amoxicillin, in the 250mg. tablets. Take one of these three times a day until they're all gone."

"What side effects are there?"

"With this, the main side effects are nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, not to mention a possible allergic reaction. If you do have any kind of reaction to these, such as loss of breath or numbness, I want to know about it immediately, even if I'm asleep. O.K.?"

Daria nodded in agreement.

**oooooooooo**

A clock chimed in 2 a.m. and Jane Lane heard a noise near her. She sat up to see Daria sitting up and leaning against the wall, scratching her sides with her hands and her back on a corner trim. "Daria?" she asked groggily. "What's wrong?"

"I'm itching. Must've been that soap I used when I washed up."

"Where are you itching?"

"All over."

Jane was suddenly fully alert and got to her feet quickly. "On your feet, Morgendorffer. Now. Come on."

"What? I'll be O.K."

"You're having an allergic reaction, Daria. Remember what Kathy said. Let's go tell her."

Daria shook her head in the darkness. "I'll be O.K., Jane. Just let her sleep." Then she started scratching her legs and bit her lower lip as she did so.

Jane grabbed Daria by her left arm and forced her to her feet. "She said to tell her, even if she was asleep. Come on, Daria."

Daria didn't struggle as Jane pulled her to a Sunday school classroom next to the pastor's office and knocked on it.

The door opened and Kathy stood there in pajamas. She yawned and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Daria's having a reaction to the pills," Jane said.

Kathy blinked her eyes several times and grabbed a set of keys on a nearby hook. "Let's take a look." She walked out, shut the door and shuffled over to the pastor's office. She unlocked it, turned on the lights and had Daria remove her clothes.

For a couple of minutes, Kathy looked over Daria's body and shook her head. You're having an allergic reaction, all right. You're breaking out all over. How are you breathing?"

"Like I'm out of breath," Daria replied.

The doctor looked at her and nodded. "I was afraid of that. It looks like we'll have to use epinephrine, which I do happen to have on hand." She prepared a hypodermic needle and cleaned a spot on Daria's upper right arm. "Be thankful. I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic once. I was given a week's supply of prednisolone to take. A very tiny pill, but also very bitter. Prednisolone would take several days to work, anyway. This is a lot quicker."

Daria didn't even react to the shot. Jane held her hands tightly to keep her from scratching and she was still biting her lower lip. Slowly, she relaxed as the immunosuppresant worked on her system.

Kathy disposed of the needle and went back to the cabinet. "Give me the rest of the amoxicillin, please."

Daria handed the doctor the pill bottle and she sat it on the cabinet. "Aren't you going to throw it away?"

"In normal times, I would," Kathy said as she filled a second bottle with different pills. "These aren't normal times. I can't afford to do that anymore." She handed Daria the bottle. "This is erythromycin. We use it on people who can't take or tolerate any kind of penicillin. Take it as you would have the amoxicillin." She yawned. "Now, let's all try to go back to sleep."

**oooooooooo**

The preacher stood up in the center of the community room and held up his hands to get everyone's attention. "As some of you know, it's that time of year that we go mushroom hunting. I know that the war's on everyone's mind, but I think it would do us good to pick a mess of wild mushrooms. Anyone who's experienced at mushroom hunting and would like to go, please raise your hand."

Daria was amused, but kept her opinions to herself. Then she turned to Jane and was shocked to see that her friend had her hand up. "What are you doing, Jane?"

"I did this at the commune, Daria. It was actually kind of fun." She shrugged. "I never ate them, though, but my 'hunting' skills were highly praised. Mainly because I found more morels than anyone else."

"I always knew you were a show-off."

Jane laughed and stood up. "You're just jealous."

At the entrance, the preacher spoke to the five volunteers. He handed each of them long plastic ponchos, rubber dishwashing gloves and plastic bags. "I know you're probably used to picking mushrooms with your bare hands, but we're adjusting to the new reality we now face. Keep the ponchos and gloves on, in case of radioactivity. Be aware of your surroundings, cause I don't want anyone to fall off the side of a cliff, even if they aren't that tall. Oh, and Mitch, don't corner a rattlesnake this time. The last thing we want Kathy to have to treat is a snake bite." Polite laughter filled the room. "I know that each of you is armed." He then looked at Jane. "How about you, young lady?"

Jane patted her right hip and said, "I'm armed and ready to go."

"Good." The preacher smiled and held up his hands. "Before we go, let's bow our heads and have a prayer."

Jane closed her eyes and shifted her weight from one foot to the other as the prayer was said. As the prayer was finished, they were taken towards the woods at the back of the church and each given a portion of land to check out. Jane's portion was across a creek and into the woods. Each person split up and went to their assigned areas.

Outside the church and coming from around a corner, Bruce Keever smiled as watched Jane's poncho-covered form disappear into the woods. He put on his camouflage jacket and followed her.

**oooooooooo**

Jane wasn't having too much luck this time around. All she found were three morels, but she continued to look intently. She moved slowly as she looked. When she found the fourth mushroom, she picked it, bagged it and said, "Hope the others are doing better than I am."

A faint sound behind her caused her to turn around suddenly and she found herself face to face with Bruce Keever. "Nice place to be, baby," he said. "Real private and secluded."

Before she could yell out, he grabbed Jane in a hug and slapped one hand over her mouth. With his other hand, he yanked open the top of her poncho and pushed his hand inside her shirt. He laughed as she struggled. She dropped the bag of mushrooms.

Jane broke out of his hold and quickly punched his left jaw. "Keep your hands off of me, you son of a bitch! If you want to do that, go palm your wife!"

Keever laughed and rubbed his jaw. "You hit like a girl," he said and suddenly punched her in the belly.

Jane fell back and away from him; she landed on her knees and fought to keep from retching.

Keever smiled as he added, "Of course, as long as you make love like a girl, that doesn't matter." He lifted her poncho and reached to her right hip. Then he removed her pistol from the holster and looked it over. "Girls like you shouldn't carry such big guns. It's mine now. Take off your clothes." He removed his jacket and laid it over a nearby oak tree branch. Then he laid the pistol at the base of the tree.

Jane got to her feet and watched as he pulled up on his shirt. She reached in her jacket pocket and sighed in relief when she found the .38 still there. "So you think I hit like a girl, huh?"

The man pulled his shirt off and hung it on the tree branch as well. He fiddled with his belt. "I told you to strip, girl. Do it!"

She glared at him, pulled the pistol out of her pocket and cocked it. "I also shoot like a girl, you bastard."

Keever looked up and froze as he saw Jane lift the pistol and aim it at him. "Oh, shit," he said and she pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck the man in the middle of his chest and he fell to his knees. He looked up at Jane as his eyes glazed over and he fell silently to his side.

Jane lowered the pistol, blinked, and pocketed it. Then she picked up her other pistol and holstered it. She saw a cliff some 20 feet away and moved to Keever's body. She looked around and saw nobody anywhere. The pistol wasn't very loud, but she wanted to be sure. After several seconds, she bent over, rolled his body to the cliff and shoved it over with her right foot. Then she tossed his jacket and shirt over the side as well.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "That's what I get for volunteering," she said and picked up her bag. After what had just happened, she couldn't look for more mushrooms. Her mind just wasn't into it.

The thought of Mrs. Keever and their little boy came to her mind and she now understood what Daria meant when she said that she couldn't stop thinking about Larry Carter's family. "Dammit!" she said and slowly walked back towards the church.

She found that she was the third person to return, behind two elderly men. One of the guards had a Geiger counter and scanned their ponchos, gloves and the mushrooms. As they were found to be clean, she stripped off the gear and went back inside the church.

Daria waited near the entrance and smiled as Jane came in. But then she saw her friend's expression and instantly moved up to her. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Later," Jane said and looked away. As they walked alone to their blankets, one of the elderly men followed them.

"Excuse me, miss," he said. Jane turned around and her face turned red as the man reached her. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Jane kept her voice steady. "Why wouldn't I be all right?" she asked back.

"I saw what happened out there. Are you all right?"

Daria looked from one to the other and asked quietly, "What happened?"

Jane looked down and took several more deep breaths. "I'm fine."

The man put a gnarled hand on her left shoulder. "I've known him since he was a little boy, miss. He's always been a...problem...and he liked being that way. I hate to say this, but Lisa and their little boy are better off without him. He's put the moves on several teen girls and young adult women at the church and our concern for his family is what's stopped us from kicking him out before."

Jane looked up at him, then at Daria; her eyes glistened with tears. "I've screwed things up, Daria."

"What happened?" Daria asked. "Tell me."

"The man I told you about yesterday? He followed me into the woods and attacked me. I killed him and left him out there. You haven't got your shot yet and we're going to be thrown out and I...I...I..." She sat down on the blanket, buried her face in her hands and started crying.

The old man pulled a folding chair near Jane and sat in it. He gently laid his hands on her shoulders and said to Daria quietly, "Put your hands on her, too. I'll pray for her, and you as well."

For the next minute, the man prayed, his voice barely heard by Daria and Jane. He prayed for both girls, to be kept safe in God's hands, for Daria's healing and for Jane to understand what had happened. "Miss..."

"My name's Jane." She looked up at his face. "Jane Lane."

"Jane...that's a beautiful name...my granddaughter in Arizona is named Jane. There's an old saying that goes like this. 'A man saddles his own horse and shoots his own snakes.' You did nothing wrong out there, Jane. He got what he has been asking for all along. You did the right thing."

"I know I did nothing wrong," Jane said. "What I'm upset about is that Daria hasn't had her second rabies shot yet and that we're outsiders and..."

"Enough of that. You two are our guests and will be taken care of as long as you want to stay here. I guarantee that."

Daria looked at him and said, "After I get my second shot, we plan to go on. Our families are out there and we need to find them."

He nodded and said, "I understand. Don't say anything about this. He..has taken off in the past. We know he has a girlfriend several miles away and that he goes to her on occasion. That's what will be assumed this time."

As the hours went on, Jane calmed down and she and Daria worked on sweeping and keeping busy doing something.

But as dusk approached, Jane had to leave the dining room when she heard Mrs. Keever ask someone there, "Have you seen Bruce? Do you know where he is?"


	18. Chapter 18

On the third day after the dog attack, Kathy pulled Jane aside and asked, "Have you paid attention to Daria's condition?"

The teen nodded and said, "She's under stress, but she hasn't broke out anymore. Heck, we're both under stress. We want to leave."

Kathy shook her head. "It's important that I watch her for at least another four days, just in case she goes into anaphylaxis again. Has she ever had a rash like that before?"

Jane stroked her chin and said, "She had one due to anxiety once. As far as I know, she didn't have an allergic reaction to anything." She looked at Kathy. "What's anaphylaxis?"

"A life-threatening allergic reaction. It can kill within minutes."

Jane's face went pale and she gasped. "Are you saying Daria almost died the other night?"

Kathy nodded. "It _could_ have happened that way. If she hadn't come to me..." 

"She didn't want to. I had to force her to get you up."

"I see." Kathy sighed. "Let me talk to Daria about this first."

Later that day, Daria, clad only in her bra and panties, sat in the pastor's/doctor's office as Kathy gave her the second of five rabies shots. She sighed in relief as the needle was withdrawn.

Kathy looked at her as she rubbed the injection site and said, "You aren't going to like what I have to say."

"What?" Daria asked. "What's wrong?"

"I think that you and Jane should stay here at _least_ another four days. That way, you can get the third shot here."

Daria blinked and frowned. "I don't understand. Why would you want us to stay?"

Kathy made a notation on a note pad, looked up and said, "To keep an eye on you. I want to be certain that you're over your allergic reaction."

"But you gave me the epinephrine shot and the erythromycin and the rash cleared up."

The doctor looked at Daria silently for several seconds and said, "The other night you were going into anaphylactic shock, Daria. Do you know what that can do to you?"

Daria blinked and her mouth dropped open. "It can kill a person if it goes untreated."

"That's right. Jane told me that she had to force you to get me. If it hadn't been for her, you could have died within the hour. More likely within 10 minutes. At the time, you were already on the way to respiratory arrest and your heart rate had increased."

"Why didn't you tell me then?" Daria asked, anger showing in her voice. "I think I had a right to know."

"I made a judgment call then and I stand by it. If I had told you then, you might very well have gone into full-blown tachycardia from the panic alone. That can also kill you, by the way."

"I wouldn't have panicked," the teen said sullenly.

Kathy crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know that, Daria. I really don't know you or Jane. Normally, when I treat a patient, I know them and as much as I can find out about them. That helps me in treating that person more than you probably realize. Yes, I gave you epinephrine and it did help, but sometimes, the relief is only temporary." She sat beside her. "Daria, I have prayed more these last 10 days than I did in the previous six months. I have especially prayed for you and Jane."

"For our 'salvation'," Daria said in a slightly sarcastic voice.

"Of course," Kathy replied and ignored Daria's sarcasm. "Mainly, I've prayed for your healing. I'm aware of the hostility that you two have gotten from some of our members. I even know about the lesbian rumors. I've prayed about both things as well. I've also prayed for your families. But the bulk of my prayers for you have been for your healing."

Daria looked at her as she realized what she had heard. "You're afraid that I'm going to die on you," she said.

"Yes, I am. When someone as old as, oh, say my dad, dies, it still hurts, even though it really isn't a surprise. After all, he's in his 70s. But you're young and I don't want you to die while in my care. That would tear me up." She cleared her throat and added, "It never gets easier, no matter how many times you go through it. I'm done with you now, Daria. You need to come in tomorrow for another check-up."

Daria stood up. "I will let you know if anything about me changes," she said and left the office.

**oooooooooo**

People were gathered around Rev. Harris in the community room as he tuned in a large radio slowly. Since Daria and Jane had arrived, this was a daily activity, but for three days, all they could pick up were voices from stations too far away to understand. Even the big 50,000-watt stations weren't coming in clear enough to listen to at any length.

"At least we know that they're broadcasting," he said after they heard the words "...wash thoroughly and catch..."

Daria sat in the back of the crowd on an outer seat. She nursed a can of Ultra Cola and nibbled on some M&Ms. Jane stood nearby, a cup of coffee in her hands and a vacant look on her face.

A gnarled hand patted Jane's shoulder and she smiled at the man. She learned that his name was Glen Bates and that he was an elder in the church. She also learned that he was a former Marine infantryman and had killed in the line of duty. He had counseled her about the incident with Bruce Keever and showed her in the Bible where killing was sometimes justified.

"Look at the way he's fondling that...that..._girl_," one elderly woman whispered loudly to the women beside her. "Shameful!"

Glen turned towards the women suddenly and said loudly, "Would you care to repeat that piece of gossip about me, Lucinda Johnson?"

The woman blushed and stammered, "I...I...I didn't say anything."

"I'm neither stupid nor deaf, Lucinda. I've had about enough of your slander against others and myself."

"Remember Matthew 18, Brother Glen," Rev. Harris said suddenly.

"I'm skipping the first two steps!" he snapped. "We'll finish this one later. If Mrs. Johnson will kindly keep her mouth shut, we can listen if something important comes up on that radio."

Mrs. Johnson started to rise and speak, but two of her friends held her in her seat and whispered to her in quick, firm voices. She stayed in her seat, but glared at the old man, who ignored her.

Rev. Harris looked at both of them for several seconds, then turned his attention back to the radio.

Jane sat down beside Daria, sipped her coffee and asked in a whisper, "What's Matthew 18?"

Daria smirked. "It's a chapter in the book of Matthew," she whispered back. "Matthew is the first book of the New Testament."

Jane slapped her left hand over her eyes and groaned as Daria's smile widened. "I know 'what' Matthew 18 is, smart a...alec. But what is its significance?"

Glen whispered, "It's a guideline for dealing with inter-church conflicts between believers."

"Oh," Jane said.

Suddenly, a voice came in clearly on the radio. "...the news to the tri-state area, martial law is in effect for the states of Maryland and Virginia, with a dusk-to-dawn curfew in place until further notice.

"The city of Frederick has been dealing with massive numbers of refugees from the Washington and Baltimore areas. Reports of thousands of cases of radiation sickness as well as food shortages and riots have come into our newsroom. According to U.S. Army Colonel Paul Phillips, Frederick is now closed to entry, while Army and police units restore order to the area.

"The enormous task of decontamination is now underway in the border areas of the restricted zones. Volunteers from area nursing homes, jails and prisons are sweeping and washing public buildings and open areas. More volunteers are welcome, according to government sources. Report to city buildings in your area to volunteer or for more information."

Daria's expression fell and she closed her eyes as the voice droned on. Jane wrapped her left arm around her shoulders and hugged her from the side.

The news gave details of martial law, of people summarily executed for crimes that normally would have taken months to prosecute. Weather reports from The Forecast Channel were given, including a thunderstorm warning for the Washington area and the area north-northeast of the capital. "However, given that the area is almost totally evacuated, there should be no extra complications than those already being experienced," the radio voice said.

Directions for basic first aid were given, as well as details on food protection and information of where to go for food and shelter. The biggest portion of programming, however, was devoted to decontamination procedures, for people, vehicles, property and animals.

After twenty minutes, the programming repeated itself and Rev. Harris searched for another station. After several seconds, a male voice boomed out of the speakers, "...Poly Jock-Itch Powder! Ask for it by name! Better yet, have your wife or girlfriend ask the clerk for it by name! Have her also ask the clerk for lessons in how to apply it!"

"What is this disgusting nonsense?" one young mother asked as she covered her daughter's ears.

Daria glanced at Jane and said quietly, "Dr. Neon is back."

"This is Dr. Neon and Pirate Radio is back on the air! I'll give you some info, go off the air and come back on in a little bit. If you think now's a good time to form break away nations from the United States, be aware that the U.S. Army is on the move against any militia or secessionist movement that causes any trouble. That includes any tax resistance or racial superiority groups. Already one group near Cumberland, Maryland has been rounded up after they tried to seal off their 'area of control.' At least 10 are dead and many more wounded.

"An army major told me that while many areas are showing signs of anarchy and criminal activity, order will be restored. He also warned that crimes against people and property will be punished swiftly and harshly. He's not joking, folks. I know of two men who were hung after being caught trying to kidnap a woman. One man who broke into a house was executed by machine gun. Looters caught in the act are being shot on sight. So keep your noses clean.

"Decontamination efforts are already underway in the areas bordering the restricted zones, with volunteers cleaning contaminated buildings and vehicles. Keep in mind that the word 'volunteer' is correct, in a certain point of view. Prison inmates and the elderly have been pressed into service for this task. I know of at least 20 inmates who were shot when they refused to work. I don't know what they do to the elderly who refuse. I've even heard rumors that people suffering from high radiation exposures have also been 'drafted' for this, but I can't prove that one.

"I can't get anyone in power to confirm this one, but apparently the Constitution and the Bill of Rights have been suspended for the duration. Welcome to the new reality, folks.

"I'm going off the air now and moving. The feds and their triangulation efforts are still quite good, despite the plastering we suffered. See ya." Then the signal stopped and Rev. Harris tried to find other stations.

Daria and Jane left the community room and walked outside the front doors. The air was cool and the wind came out of the west.

One of the guards, a boy in his late teens, smiled and nodded at them, then continued on his rounds. After he moved several feet, he looked back and smiled again. "He likes you, Daria," Jane said quietly.

Daria rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, get a brain, Lane. He likes all the girls from what I've seen and some of the women, as well."

"Yeah..." The outside light suddenly blinked and went out. Jane sighed and they waited for several seconds for it to come back on. Sounds of a commotion could be heard inside the church. The lights didn't come back on. "This isn't good, is it?"

"Not if my rabies vaccine needs to be refrigerated, it isn't."

The boy showed back up then. "I think you two should probably go back inside," he said. "To play it safe."

Daria and Jane went back inside as Rev. Harris spoke aloud. "Everyone, calm down! My goodness, we've been through power outages before. We've survived them and we'll survive this one."

"We've not had a nuclear war before, Jack," one man said.

Then Kathy spoke up, her voice loud and commanding. "We have one critical situation here to deal with. One of our guests, Daria, is on a rabies treatment cycle and still has three shots to go over the next three and a half weeks. Rabies vaccine has to be refrigerated. Not only that, but I have other medications that must be refrigerated as well. If the power doesn't come back on, I'll lose those medications and Daria's health will be at risk."

"What about using a generator?" one woman asked. "After all, we have quite a bit of frozen and refrigerated food here that we could also lose."

Glen's voice could be heard. "We don't have enough gasoline to run a generator that many times. I have a no-tech suggestion that we can use, however. I still have a spring house at my place and so do a few of the houses here in the Carthage area."

"What's a spring house?" Daria asked aloud.

"Basically, it's a small building built around an above ground spring. The water that comes out of the ground is cold and in the years before electricity, that's where we stored milk, butter and any perishables. It's always cold in there. Whenever I worked in the fields, I always kept lemonade and Ultra Cola there because they stayed ice cold. As far as the frozen foods go, we'll either have to eat them up, or be prepared to start canning."

The spring house idea was agreed to eagerly and Daria helped Kathy carry medications, while Jane and several others provided armed security. At least 10 others carried food items. The trip to Glen's home was about a quarter of a mile and while Kathy sealed the various medications in glass jars and set them in the spring water, a watch was set up as well. Jane and an old man took the first watch shift. "Don't worry, _amiga_," Jane said before Daria and the others left. "I put some Ultra Cola in the water, too. So we can still have our caffeine ice cold."

"Ultra Cola isn't that important, Jane," Daria said.

"I'll remind you of that when you go through caffeine withdrawal."

Daria smiled. "See you in a few hours, Jane."

"Yeah, have sweet dreams about Trent. Oh, wait, you already do." She laughed when Daria blushed and mouthed _I'm going to kill you _to her.


	19. Chapter 19

The next day, Rev. Harris and the church officers met with Lucinda Johnson in what was normally the church nursery. Being the only soundproofed room in the building, it offered the most privacy. The meeting took nearly an hour and Daria noticed how some of the church members watched the closed door with anticipation. She and Jane sat at a corner table, Daria reading her copy of the Boy Scout manual and Jane drawing something on the sketch pad.

"What do you want to bet that nothing changes?" Jane asked. "Gossipy old biddies don't stop their ways."

"She will, for awhile," Daria said and shrugged her shoulders. "At least while we're here."

Kathy then walked up and sat beside Daria. "Hi."

"Hey," they said in unison.

"I'd like to check you out again, Daria."

"You're not curious about the 'trial'?"

Kathy laughed. "It isn't a trial, but it has been a long time coming. Lucinda once said that I became a doctor so that I could see men naked. By her reasoning, my male counterparts became doctors so that they could see women naked. It's sad, really sad. She has very low self-esteem, so she attacks others to build herself up. They've put off confronting her, so now it's a lot harder to deal with."

Daria smiled briefly. "People always think I have low self-esteem," she said. "Actually, I have low esteem of others."

Kathy looked at Jane. "What about you?"

"Me?" She looked up from her sketch pad. "I'm Daria's partner in crime. At least until the authorities catch up with her. Then I'm just a kidnap victim, thanking them for rescuing me."

Kathy looked at her uncertainly and said, "I see that the war hasn't taken the edge off teen sarcasm any."

Before Jane could respond, Daria stood up. "Where do you want to examine me?" she asked.

"Since it's just a simple check up, there's a screened off partition near the organ. With the power off, more sunlight comes in there." Kathy led her off.

As they walked off, Daria looked back at Jane and held up her right fist. Jane's response was to stick her tongue out and laugh.

**oooooooooo**

It was later that afternoon, that Jane heard one man ask another, "Have you seen Brother Glen?"

"Not since this morning," the other man asked.

Jane thought back and remembered watching the old man move towards the woods a few hours earlier. She started to speak and suddenly remembered Bruce Keever. She closed her eyes and her mouth and shook her head.

After several seconds, she stood up and looked for Daria. She finally saw the petite brunette tutoring three middle school students on history, something she had volunteered for the day before. "I'll take care of this," she whispered and left the building.

Outside, she nodded at one of the guards and asked, "Have you seen Mr. Bates?"

Just then, a strong male voice said, "I'm right here."

They turned to see the old man. He walked slowly, his clothes soiled and he appeared exhausted. Jane and the guard rushed up to him, but he waved them off in irritation. "I'm O.K. I'm O.K. Let me go inside."

Jane walked up to the door with him and asked, "What happened?"

Three of the men from inside the church stood at the top of the entrance stairs and one said, "Brother Glen, you should let someone know when you go for a walk in the woods. In fact, someone should've been with you."

"I don't need a babysitter, Rick!"

Another man Glen's age then grimaced and added, "You smell like you fell on something dead, Glen."

Jane's face paled and she gasped. The people around saw her reaction and Glen quickly said, "I fell on a dead raccoon, people. A very, dead and ripe raccoon."

A pre-teen girl who stood in the doorway grimaced and said, "Ewwww! That's so gross!"

"Are you sure you're not hurt?" Jane asked

"I'm fine, Jane, everyone. Just step back. I need to change clothes and get cleaned up."

"What you need is a check up, Glen Bates," Kathy said as she shouldered her way to the elderly man. She took him firmly by his right arm and said loudly, "Doesn't everyone else have something to do? Back off and let me do my job." As the people broke away from the scene, she said to Glen, "You go traipsing off in the woods alone, not mindful of the people here who look up to you, love you and care for you. You are just like a child at times, I tell you."

He laughed briefly as he let her lead him. "You sound just like Jenny did when she was still alive."

"She told us to watch you and to keep you out of trouble, you know that. She knew what kind of stunts..." Their voices trailed off as they moved out of earshot. Jane moved off to sit near where Daria tutored the students.

Daria looked up from the textbook and said, "Your assignment, Jane, and you _will_ accept it, is to list all the kings of England and later, Great Britain, whose names started with the letter 'E'. Don't spell any name wrong, or you'll do the assignment again with other letters." The three students looked at Jane and laughed, then looked back at their study work.

Jane shrugged as she grabbed a pencil and paper from a nearby table and started sketching. "I need to relax a minute or two. Don't mind me."

Daria looked at her for a few seconds and mouthed _Are you O.K.? _Jane nodded and mouthed back _Later_.

**oooooooooo**

After the tutoring, Jane filled Daria in on what had happened with Glen. They had to wait until dinner before the old man walked out of Kathy's care, cleaned up and in better clothes. He walked over to the girls and sat down as one of the ladies set a plate of beef stew down in front of him.

"Thank you, Dorothy." To the girls, he asked, "Have you two eaten already?"

Both nodded and Jane asked, "What happened? Where were you?"

The man took a bite of stew, smiled in contentment as he ate and swallowed. "I enjoy a good beef stew," he said. "Very, very filling. As it happens, I was going to tell you what I did. Just between the three of us, I took care of...a problem. Let's just say that the 'problem' is buried now and leave it at that."

"You should have told me," Jane said quietly, yet forcefully. "You could have had a heart attack out there alone. I would have helped you."

Glen sighed, looked down at his plate for a few seconds, then looked sadly at the two. "You don't want to see what I saw. Trust me on that one." Then he started eating more stew and used a biscuit to sop up the sauce.

Daria looked at him for several seconds, then asked, "Why doesn't it bother your appetite?"

"You learn to separate it in your mind." He sighed, then drank half a glass of water. "You have to or else it'll eat you up. In Korea, I saw dead Americans, dead Koreans, dead Chinese and dead everything else. Those who couldn't...compartmentalize it, keep it separate...went nuts." He finished up the water and Jane refilled the glass. "Thank you, Jane. You know, I can tell who's seen the elephant. A few of us at Carthage have, be it the big one, Korea or Vietnam." He looked from Jane to Daria and back to Jane. "You two have also seen the elephant. Don't ask me how I know. I just do."

"I don't understand," Jane said.

"I do," Daria said. "Dad told me that his dad mentioned it once. It means to see combat and what it entails. But we just...had a few conflicts, not battles."

"Lie to yourself if you want to, Daria. But please don't lie to me. I've seen too much in life, and done too much as well. You don't have to give me details. I've talked to Jane about her recent...conflict. If you want to talk to me about yours, I'll be available."

Daria looked at him silently, then nodded. "If I do, you'll know about it."

**oooooooooo**

The next day, Daria had a watch at Glen's spring house with Martin Peters, the teen who had been on outside watch when the power went out. After feeling his gaze on her on and off for the first ten minutes, she said, "Would you please stop staring at me? It's really making me uncomfortable."

The boy jumped and looked away. "I'm sorry. I'm just not sure what to talk about."

"So you have to stare at me instead? Why? Is a third eye showing on my forehead? Or have you developed x-ray vision and not told anybody yet?"

The boy blushed and swallowed. "I wasn't staring at...those."

"O.K. How did you end up on this watch? I checked the schedule and saw one of the church elders was with me, not you."

"I traded with Deacon Jones. I asked for this watch."

"Why?" Daria felt she already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say it before she guessed it out loud.

"Because you're on it."

Daria sighed and closed her eyes. "Uh...Martin?"

"Well, Daria, I don't have a girlfriend. Do you have a boyfriend? If not, I was thinking..."

"Martin, I know where you're going with this. But I don't know you and you don't know me. Besides, Jane and I are just guests here. We aren't going to be here that much longer."

The boy looked slightly crestfallen. "You already have a boyfriend." He snapped his fingers once. "Darn. That's just my luck."

"I didn't say I had a boyfriend."

"Then, I'm not quite what you're looking for, is that it?"

"Will you stop that?" Daria stood up and moved in front of him. "If you keep putting yourself down, _no_ girl will be interested in you. So stop it!"

His face registered shock briefly, then he smiled. "Sorry. That did sound pathetic, didn't it?"

"It made you sound desperate. Don't try so hard." She moved to the door, looked out, then glanced sideways at him. "You don't believe that rumor about Jane and me?"

Martin rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Mrs. Johnson tells the truth, except, of course, when she lies. We just haven't seen her tell the truth enough to tell the difference." He covered his eyes with his left hand. "She once claimed that I had set up a spy camera in her bathroom so I could watch her in the shower." He shuddered. "The thought of that makes me nauseous and I have to keep from pouring boiling water on my eyes every time I remember it. I wouldn't look at her in the shower or anywhere else. I'm not sick."

"Oh?" she asked. "Who would you rather watch in the shower?"

"Mrs. Cooper," he said without hesitation, then suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth.

Daria laughed and smiled, despite herself. _It's a pity that Jane wasn't here to hear this one_. "That's an interesting confession. Isn't she the mother of the twin girls?"

The boy covered his eyes and nodded briefly.

"Does she know this?"

The boy then looked at her, horrified. "Are you nuts? If she didn't kill me first, my folks would! If her husband was still alive, he'd kill me, too."

"A word of warning, Martin. If you do install a camera in her shower, the steam will probably fog up the lens and you won't see that much."

The look on his face also reflected a slight bit of panic. "Please, don't tell anybody about this. You'll get me in trouble with everyone. They'll think I'm some sort of pervert."

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm teasing you."

He sighed in relief. "Daria, would you at least be willing to be my friend?" He held out his right hand.

She took the offered hand and they shook. "Sure."

**oooooooooo**

Jane was giving another puppet show for the little children in one of the church's smaller rooms. They laughed at the antics of the puppets Kevin and Brittany as they tried to decide on whether or not to watch _Sesame Street_.

"But, Kevvy," Jane said in a pseudo-squeaky voice and moved the female puppet. "This show is for small children."

"Babe, the Muppets rock!" she then said in an imitation of Kevin's voice. "It's only as long as the Pigskin Channel is off the air, anyway."

Suddenly she heard a loud sound somewhere outside. _A gunshot? What's happening?_

Mrs. Johnson ran by the room and yelled, "They shot Bill Foster! They shot Bill Foster!"

"Children," Jane said quickly as she picked up a shotgun near her feet. "We need to hide. Where's a good place nearby?" More gunshots could be heard, as well as screams.

A couple of little girls started crying and the children all looked up at Jane with fear in their eyes.

A small boy pointed to a door and said, "That's the furnace room. It's nice and dark in there."

She looked around and saw Glen and two other men moving with their pistols out and cocked. Her older friend saw them and he yelled, "Protect the kids, Jane!"

Jane then opened the door and said, "Let's hide. Hurry!" The kids filed into the room and she followed them. She shut the door and the room darkened. She said, "Why don't all of you pray while I stand guard, O.K.? But do it quietly."

The room filled with the sounds of little children whispering their prayers.

**oooooooooo**

"I noticed your rifle, Daria," Martin said. "Nice looking .30-06 you have. Have you ever shot it before?"

She said, "It kicks pretty hard. I got knocked on my butt when I shot it."

The boy nodded in understanding. "Next time, lean forward slightly. Let your body mass...well, what body mass you have, that is...absorb the recoil. I got knocked back the first time I shot one as well, but I fell back into a tree. Got jabbed by a broken branch and needed three stitches on my shoulder."

Loud, popping sounds could be heard outside and they looked at the front door. "What was that?" they asked in unison.

"Jinx!" Daria said quickly. "You owe me an Ultra Cola!"

He snapped his fingers and said, "Next time you won't get me on it."

Daria moved up to the window in the door and looked outside. She squinted and said, "Someone's out there."

Martin moved beside her and said, "Let me see." He looked, then his eyes opened widely. "Uh, oh." He then shoved Daria to the left hard.

"Hey!" she said and the window exploded; the boy fell backwards onto the floor. He cried out, dropped his rifle and grabbed his left shoulder.

"Martin!" Daria rushed to him, her stare on an expanding blood stain under his hand.

"Daria!" he said through clenched teeth. "They're coming for us!"

She jumped to her feet and readied the .30-06, shouldered it and leaned forward slightly.

"I got one! I got one!" one male voice said.

"I think the other one's a girl," another voice said. "First one to her gets first dibs!"

"Wait! Don't!" a third voice said.

The door was suddenly kicked in and Daria fired the rifle. The bullet hit the man in the neck and he fell backwards as she slammed the door shut.

"Oh, shit, they shot off Bobby's head!"

Daria heard the sounds of more gunfire coming from the church and just outside the building. as she moved to Martin. She looked around for a towel or something to use as a compress, but there was none around. "Dammit!" she said, pulled off her T-shirt and pressed down on the injury with it. "Martin! Are you still with me?"

He looked at her bra, smiled at her and said, "A dream come true and I have to be shot for it to happen." He laughed weakly. "I knew I could get your shirt off if I made the right moves." He slapped his right hand onto her hands and added, "It hurts, Daria. It really hurts."

"I'll do what I can, Martin. Just stay with me and I'll get help."

"I'm sorry I shoved you."

"You saved my life. Thank you." She freed her hands, pushed his hand onto the bunched up shirt and grabbed the rifle. "Hold that there. I'm going to be ready for them." With a quick glance at his face, she moved to beside the shut door.

"Eat this, you assholes!" an outside voice cried out and Daria watched a man throw something towards them. _Omigod! It's a grenade!_

The grenade hit the spring house hard, then it bounced off the wood and landed at the thrower's feet. Then it exploded.

Daria quickly moved over Martin as debris hit the building. The force of the explosion shook them, but did no damage. She got up and brushed a little dust from her shoulders.

Then she looked carefully from the side of the window and saw blast damage about 15 feet away from the door and the bodies of two other men spread about. "Wow."

**oooooooooo**

Inside the church's furnace room as the prayers stopped, Jane said, "Stay here, stay hidden. I'm going to see what's going on."

"Be careful, Jane," a little girl said in the darkness. "We love you."

Jane smiled and cocked the shotgun. "I'll be careful and I'll be back."

She stepped out quietly to see two filthy-looking men drag one of the valley girl-wannabes by her arms. The young teen girl screamed as she struggled to free herself.

Jane shouldered the shotgun stock, aimed and shot one of the men in the back of the head. As he fell, the girl screamed louder and pulled herself free from the other man's grasp. That man turned towards Jane, his pistol in his hands.

The tall brunette cocked the second barrel and shot the man in the center of his chest. As he fell, she yelled, "Get over here!" The young teen obeyed, crying almost hysterically. "Get in the furnace room with the little kids! Now!" The girl nodded in her terror and moved quickly to obey Jane.

Rev. Harris showed up, blood on his scalp and a smoking shotgun in his hands. "Are you O.K.?" he asked and panted in excitement.

"Yeah, we're fine. Is it over yet?"

"There's still some attacking Glen's spring house."

"Oh, no! Daria's there!" She ran past the preacher and out the front doors, reloading the shotgun as she ran. As she ran, she passed the bodies of both raiders and church members, as well as armed and still standing parishioners.

"Jane! Wait!" Glen yelled. "Wait for backup!"

Jane ignored him, broke into a sprint and raced towards Glen's house. Several seconds later, a man scrunched down behind a tree, turned towards Jane with an assault rifle in his hands. She shot him in his belly and ran on. A second man shot at her with a pistol and the bullet whizzed by her face close enough for her to feel the heat. She fired the second barrel and shot his legs out from under him. His screams filled the air as she ran on.

**oooooooooo**

Daria heard the shots and the screams of the man, but had no idea what was going on. She squatted near Martin, the rifle cocked and aimed at the door. "You hold on, Martin. Just hold on, please."

The boy laughed, looked at her face and asked, his voice quiet, "What...do I hold onto?"

"You're already injured," she replied and smiled. "Don't make _me_ shoot you as well."

Suddenly, Jane's voice could be heard outside. "Daria! Are you all right in there?"

"Jane? We need help! Martin's been shot! He's hurt really bad!"

Jane pushed open the door, saw Daria with her shirt off and Martin laying on the floor, holding the wadded up shirt on his shoulder. "Damn, Daria, couldn't you wait until we found Trent to do that?"

"Jane! Go get help or I'll shoot you myself."

Just then, Martin's father and three other men of the church showed up. One of them quickly took off his jacket and placed it around Daria's shoulders. She slipped her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up to her neck as the men carried the injured youth outside. Two of the men took over the watch and cleaned up the blood from the spring house floor.

An old door was found inside Glen's garage and four men carried Martin on it back towards the church. Jane took the lead and held her reloaded shotgun ready as they walked. Daria walked beside the impromptu stretcher and watched the youth as he groaned and sighed. He smiled at her and held up his left thumb in an "O.K." gesture.


	20. Chapter 20

As they walked back towards the church, Daria looked down at Martin's face. He smiled up at her, winced from a jostle and closed his eyes. Her eyes widened, then relaxed when she saw that he was still breathing.

She noticed Martin's father, John Peters, glance at her and she returned his look. He cleared his throat, looked forward with the other stretcher bearers and said quietly, "Thank you for what you did for Martin back there. A lot of the women and girls here are good, decent people and all, but they wouldn't have removed their shirts like that. Not even to save his life."

"I wasn't exactly happy about it, myself," Daria admitted and pulled the top of the jacket together. "But he needed it more than I did."

"I appreciate it. You and your friend will be in our family's prayers."

"Thank you."

When they arrived back at the church, Jane moved back beside Daria and the men carried Martin up to where Kathy was checking out the injured. She whispered, "Did you take off your shirt before _or_ after he was shot?"

"Kiss my ass, Jane," Daria whispered back.

Jane smiled. "There you go, offering again. A lot of talk and no action."

Daria rolled her eyes and shook her head. She said, "To be serious for a moment, Jane, I...I mean, he...oh, hell, it should have been me that got shot. Martin shoved me away at the last second and he's the one who got it instead."

Jane looked at her, amazement showing in her eyes. "Whoa. He took a bullet for you? Wow."

"Yeah. Yeah, he did. Not only that, but before we got attacked, he asked me to be his girlfriend."

"He did?" Jane giggled. "Oh, this just gets better and better. So that's when you took your shirt off, huh?"

"Jane! Dammit, I'm serious! What do I do? How can I ever pay _that _back? I mean, I turn him down and then he takes a bullet for me. I...I don't know what to do."

Jane slung the shotgun over her shoulder and stroked her chin in thought. "Normally, I'd recommend a candlelit room, soft music, wear nothing but a bow on your neck and give him a night of wild, uninhibited sex."

"Jane!"

"Yeah, I know, you do that here and you're suddenly his wife, barefoot and pregnant." She grinned at Daria, who glared at her. "You'd look real cute washing the dishes in a dress and apron, your belly pooched out with Martin Junior inside."

"You're going to look real cute with a stake through your heart and your mouth stuffed full of garlic." She put her hands over her eyes. "I'm serious, Jane. What do I do?"

Jane shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know, Daria. I have no idea. Let me think awhile on it." She waved her right hand towards the people near the front of the church. "Let's see what's going on." They walked forwards slowly.

Kathy had several people laying on the ground near the church entrance, their feet propped up. Two elderly ladies helped her as she worked. One man with a Geiger counter checked out each gunshot victim and gave the doctor a thumbs up after he checked each person.

Three of the attackers were still alive. Two of those sat cross-legged on the ground with their hands on the back of their heads. They had sullen, defiant looks on their faces and glared at the two men who guarded them with double-barreled shotguns. The third man was the one that Jane shot in the legs. He was on his back, crying in one breath and demanding attention and help in the next.

"How many did we lose?" the girls heard one man ask. Another answered, "Four."

Daria and Jane stopped near Glen, who stood with Rev. Harris, John Peters and several other men and women of the church. "Why is Kathy treating our people outside?" John asked. "I'd think it would be better inside."

The preacher turned towards him. He held a handkerchief on his scalp as he replied, "We have to take up some of the carpet near the classrooms." He nodded towards Jane. "You saved my daughter's life earlier, Jane. Frances and I thank you."

Jane nodded. "You're welcome."

He continued, "Unfortunately, one of the men you shot was highly radioactive. Even his blood and...was hot." He then spoke to the others nearby. "They're cleaning up what they can, but Kathy decided that it was easier for us to cut out that part of the carpet than to try and clean it. She said that we need a lead-lined container to dispose of the body and anything else radioactive."

Glen looked over at one younger man sweeping up broken glass and masonry. "Jimmy! Come here a second!"

The man strolled over, a broom and dustpan in his hands. "Yeah, Glen, what do you need?"

"Do you still have that lead-lined coffin your grandpa bought?"

The young man looked at him briefly, then nodded. "That old thing? Yeah, it's in the barn. Melissa's been wanting me to sell it, but how do you sell a coffin?"

"Is it still in good condition?"

"Sure. Why do you ask?"

Rev. Harris then spoke. "We need to use it, Jimmy. Some of these dead raiders and their stuff is hot. We need to safely dispose of them."

Kathy then walked up. "Jack," she said to the preacher, "we were blessed. None of our gunshot injuries are radioactive."

"You expected them to be?" one woman asked.

"Some of the ammunition the raiders used is hot," the doctor replied. "So, yes, I did expect it. Here's what we have to deal with. We have three gunshot wounds, and Martin's is the most serious to deal with." 

John spoke up, "Can you operate on him here?"

She nodded and continued, "I want to take him up on the pulpit and we move the organ. I need to operate on him as soon as I can. I've already got Jeannie prepping him and after I talk here, I'm going to wash up."

John blinked and said, "How are you going to put him under?"

The doctor looked him in the eyes and said, "I'm not. All I have is local anesthetics. I will use them, but I'll also need the help of several big and strong men to hold him down in case the local isn't enough." She looked at Rev. Harris. "We need a prayer chain started now, Jack. For Martin, for myself and for the other patients. I'm going to be busy for awhile."

Martin's mother moved up to her husband and gripped his arm tightly. John asked, "Could...could my boy die from this?"

Kathy sighed and looked at both of them. "I won't lie to you. Yes, he can die, mainly from shock. He's lost some blood, but I don't believe it was enough to be a problem. I have faith that he will do O.K."

One man spoke up, "What about giving him whiskey until he gets drunk? My brother has whiskey in his room at my house."

Daria started to mention the whiskey she and Jane had, but Kathy gave the man a short and bitter laugh. "That only works in movies and TV shows, Brad," she said. "One, drunk does not mean anesthetized. Two, alcohol dehydrates the body and that is the _last _thing Martin needs. Three, he could end up vomiting and inhaling it, which could kill him, or he could end up with alcohol poisoning. I'd be better off packing him in ice until he went numb, and I'm not doing that either."

"What other injuries have we suffered?" the preacher asked.

Kathy looked at him. "We also have five stabbings, none serious, but all requiring stitches."

Jane whispered to Daria, "Why don't you offer your 'expertise'?"

"Bite me, Lane," Daria whispered back.

Kathy added, "Several of our people were punched or had their hair pulled. Three people have swollen noses, there are several black eyes and a couple of missing teeth. We also have two broken bones, one in a child's forearm. One of the raiders stomped on her arm, broke it and laughed."

All those gathered looked at the three surviving raiders. Their looks were hard and angry.

"Vengeance is not the answer, people," Rev. Harris spoke up. "Let's keep our cool, shall we?"

"Justice is the answer, Jack," Glen spoke up. "We need to just shoot them and be done with it."

One person said, "Now, wait a minute," but Kathy whistled loudly and stopped the talk. Everyone looked at her.

"I am not finished talking yet. Of all our problems we now face, the worst is radiation. So far, God has blessed us by keeping fallout from any of the bombed cities away, and I appreciate it, because it won't always be that way. Now we are dealing with contamination from other sources. Three of the raiders and their belongings are highly radioactive. Two of those men were killed in the raid." She pointed at a dark-haired man sitting on the ground. "This man here will die within the next several days, if my guess is right. His dosage level is at least 2,000 roentgens. Probably closer to 3,000. There is no helping him. He has too much organ and cellular damage. Shooting him would be a mercy."

The man heard the exchange and yelled out, "I demand that you do something to help me! You're a doctor! Get your damned ass over here and treat me!"

Jane, Glen and several other people all aimed their weapons at the man and Kathy yelled out, "DON'T SHOOT HIM! We already have to clean up the radioactive blood from the other two." Then to the man, she said, "You are already dead, you fool. Get that one through that thick skull of yours. If you want to do something constructive with the time you have left, give your soul to Jesus Christ. He's the only one who can help you now." To Rev. Harris and the others, she said, "If you want to execute him, then hang him. We could just let him die, but he will vomit and mess himself before it's all over and I don't think we need to deal with that either."

Then Kathy pointed to a small pile of weapons and assorted junk set away from everything. "This stuff is too hot for anyone to use or even touch. All of it needs to be disposed of, as well as the top layer of ground it's sitting on. Do we have a lead-lined container to use?"

Jimmy spoke up. "We have my grandpa's old coffin. It's big, Doc Kathy, but it won't hold three men and all their junk."

"Then we'll have to find another lead-lined box, Jimmy. This stuff is too dangerous to leave around."

Daria moved up to Glen and asked, "Why did his grandfather buy a coffin and store it? I don't understand it."

Glen shrugged. "J.D. was a bit...odd. He paid nearly $1,000 for it in 1957 and at the time it was really a fancy piece of work. He planned to be buried in it. Then he died in Florida in 1975 and his new wife had him buried down there. The coffin passed down to his son, then on to Jimmy." He shook his head. "I guess that there was a reason for him buying the silly thing after all. It just took more than four decades to come in handy."

One woman moved away from the injured and came up to them. "Kathy, my old hope chest is lead-lined."

The doctor sighed in relief. "I hate taking your hope chest like that, Cindy, but this is really important. Thank you."

Before Daria could ask another question, Glen whispered, "J.D. was Cindy's grandfather, too. He had a thing for lead-lined items. Old cold-war nonsense that actually comes in handy now."

Jane pointed at a larger pile of weapons and other items. "What about this stuff?" she asked.

"It's clean," the doctor and grimaced. "I should say, it's not contaminated. Cleanliness wasn't in these people's dictionaries. Now, I'm going to prep myself for surgery." She pointed at four men. "John, Brad, Gerald and Mike. You've just volunteered to help me. Come on."

As the four men and the doctor left the scene, Jane walked up to the larger pile and pulled an assault rifle out. "Interesting," she said to no one in particular. "An AK-47." She also picked up several magazines of 7.56-mm shells.

Daria walked up and looked at her, then at the assembled church members, who were talking to Kathy and Rev. Harris. "What are you doing, Jane?" she asked.

"I have me a new toy," Jane said and smiled. "This kind of rifle is one of the weapons that Socrates taught us to shoot at the commune."

"That's my rifle, bitch!" one of the seated raiders yelled out. "Put it down or I'll tear you a new asshole!"

Jane smiled sweetly at the man and said, "You're really brave, aren't you?"

"Damned right I am!"

Just then, a man carried his daughter outside. Daria and Jane knew her as Katie, an eight-year-old aspiring gymnast. Her arm was sloppily covered in plaster-of-Paris and she held her hand as the cast dried. She nodded towards the man Jane was talking to and said, "He's the one, Daddy."

The father handed his girl to his wife, pulled a pistol out of its holster and cocked it. He aimed at the man with a shaking hand.

Rev. Harris moved close and said, "Phil, 'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay.' It isn't worth it. Don't do it."

A tear ran from the father's right eye and he lowered the pistol. "I...I can't do it."

"You pussy!" the raider yelled and laughed. "I'll cut your nuts off and shove them down your throat! You can't use them anyway."

Jane released the assault rifle's safety quietly and said to the father, "Ignore him and don't think anymore about it. You can sleep at night knowing that you have no blood on your hands."

The raider continued his taunts, however. "I'll screw your wife in front of you and make you watch! Then I'll get your little girl, too!" The man's back stiffened, but he and his family still walked back towards the church.

Jane turned her attention back to the man, leaned over and smiled again. "You know what the real pity is?" she asked.

"What, cunt?"

"I have blood on my hands." She leveled the rifle and fired several rounds into his chest. He fell back screaming, a look of total shock on his face as his body went into jerking spasms. Then the body relaxed as the man died.

The silence after the shooting was finally punctuated by the wailing of the other two raiders. The irradiated man cried out, "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!" Then he started bawling.

Jane looked around at the shocked faces of the parishioners. Even Daria was surprised by what had just happened and stared at her, her eyes widely opened. "Think about it, people! Where are you going to keep them? You have no jail. The man stomped on a little girl's arm and broke it! He laughed when he did it and you heard him boast about what he wanted to do to both Katie and her mom."

"We're supposed to turn the other cheek, young lady!" an older woman said. "You just murdered that man!"

Glen then spoke up. "Stop right there, Brenda! You know very well that 'turning the other cheek' does not mean giving in to murderers or rapists."

Jimmy said loudly, "Jane didn't murder that man either, Brenda. We were going to execute them anyway. We have to."

"That's right, Jimmy," Glen said. "Thank you. Everyone, if these people had succeeded in their raid, then the men of the church who survived would more than likely be tortured to death. The women and children would be raped and tortured and probably killed as well. If we jail them, we'll have to guard them, feed them and...they're not worth that kind of expense or trouble." He cocked his pistol and walked up to the man with the shot-up legs. 

"Glen, wait!" Rev. Harris said and rushed up. "Let me talk to him first. Give him at least a last chance to accept Jesus in his heart."

"O.K., Jack, I'll wait." He released the hammer and waited, his arms crossed over his chest.

For the next several minutes, the preacher spoke softly to the man. After a couple of minutes, the man nodded and the preacher touched his forehead gently and they prayed together. After the prayer, the preacher moved away and the man looked up at Glen nervously. "I'm ready," he said and closed his eyes.

Several people turned away as the elderly man cocked the pistol again and emptied two shots into the raider's head. The body jerked briefly, then relaxed as the man died.

Everyone's attention turned towards the last raider, who by now was panicked and struggled against his bonds.

"We can't shoot him! Kathy said that he's radioactive!" one woman said.

"What do we do with him?" a second woman asked.

Rev. Harris knelt by the man and said, "You have the same option, son. Accept Jesus into your heart now. Don't put it off. Even if we don't execute you, you heard our doctor. You're dying of radiation sickness. At least this way, you won't have to suffer. If we let you live, you will suffer badly. We will be quick and merciful. I promise."

They talked quietly and the man bawled as he spoke. The preacher prayed softly and the man closed his eyes as he prayed.

After several minutes, Rev. Harris stood up and walked away as two of the men slipped a rope around the raider's neck. Nearly everyone else, Daria and Jane included, turned away.

Daria closed her eyes as well, but the sudden sound of a loud crunch made her wince.

As the bodies of the dead were being buried, Daria sat on a set of steps near on the other side of the wall from the pulpit. Jane helped with the burial, but Daria was too pre-occupied with Martin's operation and how long it was taking.

The sound of a muffled scream reached her ears and she felt a tear ran down her cheek. Then Jane's voice in her mind said, _He took a bullet for you? Wow._

Then she heard her own voice as it said, _I turn him down and then he takes a bullet for me._

Kathy's voice then played, _Yes, he could die._

Jane's voice then said, _So that's when you took off your shirt, huh?_

Daria closed her eyes and yelled out, "Enough with the voices, already!"

Jane moved up to her and asked, "What voices, Daria? Nobody said anything."

Daria jumped, startled. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't know you were there. I was just thinking out loud."

"Worried?" Jane asked.

"What do you think?"

"You are. The way you're acting you'd think he _was_ your boyfriend."

Daria just shook her head. "I don't see him that way and it makes me feel guilty, Jane. Why did he do that for me? I'm nothing to him, not really. I don't understand why he did it."

Jane sat down beside her. "Tell me what happened out there, _amiga_."

Then Daria related the exact events, from her seeing someone outside, to Martin looking outside and suddenly shoving her out of the way and getting shot.

"I'll never complain about what he did," Jane said.

"That's easy for you to say, Jane." 

"Yes, it is, Daria. If he hadn't shoved you away, the bullet would have blown your brains out instead of lodging in his shoulder. He will always have my thanks and admiration for that."

Daria blinked and looked at the ground. "I never even thought about that. All I've been thinking is how he put me in the ultimate spot."

"Uh, huh. What was his reaction when you turned him down on being his girlfriend?"

"He asked me to at least be his friend. I accepted."

Jane nodded and smiled. "Well, there you go, Daria. Someone once said that there was no greater love than when you're willing to lay down your life for your friend."

"I don't love him!" Daria whispered quickly. "I'm thankful for what he did, but I don't know him well enough to love him. He certainly doesn't know me well enough to love me!"

"He's a Christian, Daria. He already loves you, at least in that way." Jane shrugged. "Maybe that's enough for him to die for you. Plus, he could be old-fashioned and instinctively protected you because you're a woman." Then she whispered, "Maybe he thought that if he got shot, you'd take off your shirt for him."

To Jane's surprise, Daria smiled. She said, "Right after he got shot and I had to use my shirt on him, he joked that he knew that if he did the right thing, he'd get me to take off my shirt."

"At least he has a sense of humor, Daria. That's a good sign."

It was approaching dark when Kathy came out to the others and said, "He made it."

Everyone, including Daria and Jane, cheered and waited for the doctor to say more.

"He's resting. I have him on an IV and have sedated him, so nobody needs to bother him right now."

The next day, Daria sat on a chair beside Martin's bed and asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm bored," the boy said. "I want to get up, but Kathy's said I have to stay in bed all day, except when I have to go to the bathroom."

"How did you handle the surgery?"

"With unbelievable hysterics, thank you. I cried like a baby." He sighed. "I will never have to worry about pain again, because I have never felt anything that hurt like _that_. I know I never want to feel it again."

She smiled. "That's what you get for being a hero." She looked down briefly, then gazed at his face. "Why did you do that for me?"

Martin looked at her and said, "I saw the guy aiming a rifle. My plan was to push you away and then jump aside." He laughed briefly and winced from the pain in his shoulder. "I wasn't fast enough."

Daria swallowed, then said, "If I do something right now, can I count on you to not to take it the wrong way?"

"As long as you make it plain to me, how can I take it the wrong way?"

She blushed and looked away briefly. "This is a thank you for saving my life." Then she leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

When Daria ended the kiss and sat back, Martin exhaled and smiled. "That reminds me," he said. "You saved my life, too. I owe you a thank you as well. May I?"

"O.K.," Daria said and smiled. "Why not?" She leaned down and they kissed again.

When they broke the kiss, Martin looked up at her and watched as she sat back in the chair again. "We're still friends?" he asked.

"We're still friends," she replied and smiled.

"The man who marries you will be blessed," he said suddenly.

Daria blushed again, blinked twice and looked away briefly. Then she looked at him and said, "The woman who marries you will also be...blessed. Very blessed." She held out her right hand and he took it in his. They shook hands and smiled at each other.


	21. Chapter 21

The next two days were designated a period of mourning for the Carthage congregation. During this time, Jane's easy rapport with the children allowed her to keep the young ones occupied with games and crafts, despite the unease some parents felt about a teen who could so easily kill.

Also during this time, Daria worked in the kitchen part of the time, and spent a few hours each day helping Kathy in her tasks. She also escorted Martin on his assigned (by Kathy) walks to keep his strength up and helped with his therapy.

On the second day of mourning, Rev. Harris gathered the congregation together and said, "We've been so pre-occupied with our problems that we forgot that we aren't alone out here. We need to check on our sister church in Morrisville. Since we've been raided, there's a good chance that they've had similar problems as well. I need six volunteers to go over there and check things out."

Kathy stood up and said, "I'll go."

Several members in the congregation shook their heads negatively and one old man spoke up, "Kathy, you are the last person who should go. As our doctor, we can't afford to even take a chance losing you out there."

"I agree, " Glen said. "Martin's still recovering as is our other injured and Daria is still on her rabies treatment cycle, as you called it." Several people muttered agreement with the two men.

"Such a trip is a part of my obligations as a doctor," Kathy pointed out. "I've driven many a backroads around here alone, as some of you very well know. That includes some areas where outsiders are unwelcome."

Rev. Harris shook his head as well. "I'm afraid I have to agree with them, Kathy. These aren't normal times anymore. You're too valuable to risk like that."

Jeannie Lewis, an elderly woman who had helped Kathy during the treatment of the Carthage wounded, stood up and said, "I may be retired, but I'm still a nurse at heart. I'll go."

After several minutes of discussion, volunteers stepped up to check things out, including four of the younger men. Then Jane spoke out. "I can ride shotgun," she said and actually drew several nods of agreement from others in the crowd. Daria looked at her in shock, however, with her mouth and eyes widely opened.

Rev. Harris said a quick prayer, then the volunteers prepared themselves. Jane grabbed the double-barreled .12-gauge shotgun and filled her jacket pocket with shells for both the shotgun and her .357 Magnum. She also slung the AK-47 over her shoulder and took an extra banana clip with her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Daria asked. "You don't know what you could be riding into."

Jane sighed and looked at her friend. "It feels right to me, Daria. They need someone who can protect them."

"Who are you kidding? Those guys could probably shoot a bird off the top of a tree before they were 10."

For several seconds, Jane said nothing. Then she said, "What's wrong with you, Daria? You haven't said anything about not helping them before."

"It could be dangerous."

"No shit," the tall brunette whispered and looked at her smaller friend. "_Amiga_, it's going to be dangerous out there for quite a while. Maybe the rest of our lives. Remember, we're 'damn tough bad guys.' We need to live up to it." She turned to leave.

Daria looked down briefly, then moved forward and grabbed Jane's right arm. "Be careful, Lane," she said. "If you get yourself killed, I'll never forgive you."

Jane laughed. "Don't worry, Daria. I'll not only take care of myself, but these guys as well."

"I'm serious, Jane. If I...if I lose you, I don't know what I'll do."

Jane's laughter grew and she put her left hand on Daria's shoulder. In a quieter voice, she said, "You'd think that we _were_ married the way you're acting."

Daria looked her in the eyes. "I wouldn't go that far," she said, "but until we find our families, you are all I have."

They looked at one another in silence, then Jane smiled and embraced Daria in a tight hug. "I'll be careful, Daria," she whispered. "Love you."

"I love you, too."

Then Jane grinned. "Don't attack Martin while we're gone," she whispered in Daria's right ear. "Wait until I'm back before you whip your shirt off again."

"Jane!"

"When I see Quinn again...oh, have I got a lot of stuff to tell her about you. She'll love it, of course."

"Kill you," Daria muttered.

Jane broke the hug, walked to one of the pickup trucks going on the trip and waved at Daria.

Daria felt tears well up in her eyes, but stood still and waved back at her friend. As the trucks left, she removed her glasses and wiped her eyes carefully. Then she walked back inside the church and moved up to Martin. "It's time for your walk," she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" he asked as he slowly got to his feet.

The petite brunette started to snap back a comment, but bit her lip and took a deep breath. "Yes," she said. She looked at Martin. "Despite what you think and what you've seen the two of us do, before the war started, we never killed anybody or, to my memory, ever shot a gun in anger." She turned away and wiped her eyes quickly. "I don't want her to take any unnecessary chances."

"Well, I know all of those guys," he said. "Jimmy admires Jane's tough-as-nails approach to criminals, I know, cause I heard him say it."

"He's married," Daria said.

"He won't say or do anything wrong towards Jane," Martin replied quickly. "However, he might try to hook her up with his kid brother, Danny."

Daria blinked and thought for a few seconds, then smiled. "That ought to be interesting to see."

**oooooooooo**

The drive to Morrisville took less than 15 minutes, even with the slow speeds the drivers took. But about 500 yards outside of the village, the trucks stopped and Jimmy got out of the lead truck to look through a set of binoculars. He stared in silence for nearly a minute, then lowered the binoculars and sighed. He turned towards the others. "They've been hit," he said quietly. "Pretty bad, too, from what I can see. Lock and load, people, but be careful. The...thugs...are probably all gone by now. There may still be people we can help."

Jane sat in the second truck on the passenger side next to Jeannie. As they drove up to the church grounds, she gasped as the sights they came upon. "Oh, my God," she whispered and stared.

The elderly woman beside her closed her eyes and shook her head.

Two people, both men, hung from a tall oak tree in the front yard of one home next door to the church. Both were nude and badly mutilated. Their bodies swung in the breeze.

At least 50 bodies littered the grounds around the church. Most of them were adults, but here and there a child's body laid.

Jane got out of the truck quickly, bent over and vomited. Two of the men in the other truck did the same.

The church building itself and several nearby homes looked partially demolished.

One man wiped his mouth and spat in the dirt. "What...what do we do?" he asked, his voice shaky.

"I don't know," Jimmy said. "As God is my witness, I don't know."

**oooooooooo**

As nightfall arrived, Daria stood outside the church and looked in the direction of Morrisville. "They should be back by now, shouldn't they?" she asked nobody.

She saw two men past the outskirts of town shine a flashlight three times and recognized them as two of the church members. After the raid, Glen and other combat veterans organized a roving perimeter watch. Three lights meant that all was well. Two lights meant friends seen. One light, kept on and waved frantically meant danger.

Suddenly she felt someone near her and turned to see Martha Peters, Martin's mother. "You're right, they should be back," she said. "Jane is safe with them. Don't worry."

"Easier said than done."

The older woman gently led Daria back inside. "The radio's going to have some important announcement from the government. I thought you'd like to hear it."

Inside, Daria got a plate of spaghetti and sat down with Martin's family as the radio was tuned in.

"...since the areas of contamination are spread out over a wide area of the United States, each affected area has been split up into regional commands. The commander for the region covering Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia is Major General Bartholomew J. Simpson, United States Army."

A pre-teen boy sitting nearby started laughing and many of the adults glared at him. "Bart Simpson! Don't y'all get it? There's a General Bart Simpson!" He kept laughing.

Despite sharing the name of a smart-ass cartoon character, the officer who spoke had a sharp, no-nonsense and commanding voice. "The events of what has been called Black Saturday have had and will continue to have deep repercussions for the United States of America. Under orders of the President, I assume command of the First Military Section, which comprises the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as the states of Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware.

"I will discuss the various zones of operation within this military section. Those zones are dead zones, red zones, yellow zones and blue zones.

"The dead zones are those areas hit by nuclear weapons and have been rendered uninhabitable. For this listening area, the dead zones are as follows: Washington, D.C. and all areas within 35 miles of the capital itself, Norfolk, Virginia and all areas within 30 miles of it, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and all areas within 25 miles of each city. All dead zones are off-limits and will eventually be fenced in. Any unauthorized person or persons found in the dead zones will be shot on sight.

"The next areas are called red zones. The red zones are those areas contaminated by the fallout generated by the nuclear bombing. For this listening area, the red zones are as follows: Hancock and Brooke counties of West Virginia. In Pennsylvania, the following counties: Washington, Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Westmoreland, Clearfield, as well as Chester, Montgomery and Bucks. In Maryland, the entire state east of Frederick County. The entire state of Delaware. In Virginia, the following counties: Southampton, Sussex, Greensville, Dinwiddie, Surrey, Isle of Wight, James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Lancaster, Northampton, Accomack, as well as Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier. Red zones are restricted access, military and government only. Any unauthorized persons caught in the red zones will be subject to summary execution by military and police forces.

"The next areas are called yellow zones. The yellow zones are those areas affected by evacuations, as well as health, logistical and civil disturbance problems. For this listening area, the yellow zones are as follows: In West Virginia, the cities of Wheeling, Moundsville, Morgantown, Berkeley Springs and Martinsburg, and all areas within 10 miles of said cities. In Pennsylvania, the entire state south of the 30th parallel not already covered within the dead or red zones. In Maryland, Frederick County and all counties to the west of that. In Virginia, the portion of the state east of a line stretching from Winchester in the north to South Boston near the North Carolina border. Only those people who live in yellow zones will be permitted in, as well as those who have been evacuated there. Effective immediately, all travel in yellow zones must be approved by local military and police commands.

"The blue zones are those areas not mentioned in the previous zone descriptions."

Daria covered her face and shook her head. _I can't even go back to Maryland? How am I ever going to find Mom and Dad now?, _she thought and removed her glasses. _I need Jane. What if I've lost her, too? _She looked over at Kathy, who was lost in thought as the radio droned on.

Daria's chin quivered and she suppressed a sob. Then she gave in and started crying hard. Martin and his parents looked at her with concern, and the boy gently touched her right arm as she cried.


	22. Chapter 22

The first move made by the group that Jane accompanied was a perimeter search for any survivors by the men. Jane stayed with Jeannie as she checked each body for vital signs, if any. The teen also took notes in a notebook as the retired nurse identified each body. Some of the bodies showed signs of being fed upon by animals. Before the men had left on their search, they had shot several buzzards and a coyote.

Several times, the elderly woman stopped, sniffled and wiped her eyes. She patted one man's arm and said, "My daughter...dated him when she was a teenager. So many years ago."

A few times, the nurse looked at a body and said, "I don't know this person."

Jane shot one buzzard that landed near a child's body, then looked at Jeannie and said, "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," Jeannie said. "I briefly worked in an hospital in D.C. Gunshots were fairly common there."

No more scavenger animals came upon the scene.

After nearly an hour, two men returned to the church grounds; one of them cried loudly as the second man seethed in anger.

"Eric?" Jeannie asked the crying man. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head several times, sat hard on the ground and bawled even louder.

The nurse turned towards the other man and asked, "What happened, Cody?"

Cody visibly calmed himself down and took a deep breath. "We found Lindy in a backyard of a house nearby," he said. "She was ra...used pretty badly before they killed her." He noticed Jane's confused look and added, "Lindy was Eric's kid sister."

"Oh," Jane said.

"Eric, you stay here with Jeannie," he said gently as he took Jane's notebook and gave it to him. "Help her out."

Eric looked up at him, managed a wobbly, "O.K.", then continued to cry.

Cody looked at Jane and asked, "You're Jane, right?" She nodded. "You come with me and be my backup inside the church."

"Sure," she said and they walked up the steps to the front doors of the church. Just inside the doors, she wrinkled her nose and gagged. "What is that smell?" she asked and coughed.

"Blood," he said. "Lots of it."

The church auditorium had at least 20 bodies spread about in it, some on the floor, others draped over or on the pews. A woman's body laid up near the pulpit, covered by a toppled over piano. Dried blood was splattered around the bodies.

Jane struggled to keep from vomiting again as they moved through the sanctuary. "This is what _could_ have happened to us," she said, her voice shaky.

"Yeah," he said grimly and muttered something unintelligible. "If we hadn't fought back against them. What I don't get is why didn't they fight? Every single body I've come across is somebody I either know or someone who looks like they fit in here. There's no bodies of raiders, of punks." He looked at Jane and she saw the fury in his eyes. "Maybe they would have killed me if they had overrun us, but I would have taken as many with me as I could." He sobbed once and bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. "It doesn't even look like they fought."

"It looked like they tried to run," Jane pointed out.

"Those outside, yeah," Cody said as they reached the top of a stairwell leading to a basement. "The people in here were raped and tortured...and butchered. They were killed last." He swallowed and grimaced, then spit quickly. "This air is leaving a bad taste in my mouth."

"Mine, too," she said.

He glanced at her. "Follow me downstairs, and be ready. If anyone's alive, good guy or bad, they'll be down here."

Cody and Jane slowly moved down the carpeted stairs, rifles ready in their arms. A door at the bottom of the stairs was torn off its hinges and laid sideways, a bloody palm print near the handle.

Just past the door, a man's body laid in a fetal position on the floor. His clothes and body looked filthy and he stank even more than the other dead did.

"Looks like a raider," Jane said as she kicked the unresponsive body lightly.

"Uh, huh," Cody replied and moved into a darkened hallway. "Someone apparently did fight back."

In one classroom, they found the nude body of a middle-aged woman on a table. Her throat had been deeply slashed. Cody sighed, averted his eyes and left the room. "Miss Hawkins," he said, his voice weak. "My high school social studies teacher." He took a deep breath and wiped his left eye. "I wrote her a love letter when I was in the 10th grade."

Jane picked up a torn dress off the floor and gently covered the woman's body with it.

He sobbed briefly. "She...turned down my 'romantic' advances, but became like a...a big sister to me. She supported me in trade school." He closed his eyes for several seconds, wiped both of his eyes, then said, "Come on."

The next room they walked into was empty of people, with tables scattered, but no other signs of damage. "Nothing," he said.

Jane stopped, however, and said, "Wait."

Cody looked back at her. "What is it?"

"Something doesn't feel quite right here." She looked around.

"What do you mean?"

"I...I don't know." She moved to a bookcase and looked around. "Someone's in here."

"How do you know that?"

Jane looked frustrated. "I don't know! All I know is that someone's in here!"

Cody stared at her briefly, looked around the room and then moved to the bookcase. He pulled it away from the wall to reveal a small door. It was painted the same lime green color as the wall around it. He pulled a small metal ring, also painted, and opened the door.

The sounds of screaming children reached them and Cody and Jane saw at least 10 children cowering in the darkness.

"Kids!" Jane said loudly. "It's O.K.! We're here to help you! Come on out!"

There ended up being fifteen children, four boys and 11 girls, in the hidden space. The oldest child, a girl who looked to be 13, held a torn dress together on her came out last and instantly embraced Jane in a hug. "Thank God! Thank God! It was horrible!" Then she broke down in sobs and the children cried as well.

Cody looked at the scene and said to Jane, "Stay here with them and I'll check out the rest of the rooms."

"O.K.," she said as the young teen cried into her shoulder.

After several seconds, the young girl looked up at Jane and said as she cried, "Miss Hawkins hid us from them. Then we heard them get her." She closed her eyes, groaned and sobbed. "She screamed for a long time. Then the screaming stopped, but we were afraid to come out."

"When did it happen?" Jane asked.

"I don't know," the girl said. "Several days ago. We were afraid they were waiting for us."

"You haven't eaten since then?"

"No."

**oooooooooo**

Outside, Jeannie checked out each of the children and had them sit in the back of the two pickup trucks. Salvaged blankets from the church and the nearby homes were used to cover them. They ate bread and crackers that the six had brought with them.

Jimmy and the other man, named Nolan, had returned and the retired nurse talked to Jane and the men.

"All of them are in some form of shock," the nurse said. "They're also suffering from a mild dehydration."

"The oldest girl told me that it happened several days ago," Jane said. "That they were terrified to come out because they didn't know if the raiders were still out here."

Jeannie nodded. "That makes sense. I want all of you to search the houses for bottled water or sports drinks. Even soda pop if you can find it. We need to get fluids in these kids. Then after you all get back, we need to discuss...the disposal of all these bodies. We just can't leave them out here."

The men and Jane looked at her silently, then at each other.

Within a half-hour, the five returned with a half case of bottled water, several cans of a local supermarket brand cola and one bottle of a lemon-lime sports drink.

As the children sat in the trucks, the young teen, wearing one of the men's jackets, hovered over them, and made sure they drank the offered drinks, while Jeannie took aside the other five and discussed the bodies.

"I hate to even bring this up," the retired nurse said, "but there are 85 dead bodies out here, already in the early stages of decomposition. Unless we have 20 men or a bulldozer we have to take some drastic steps."

"David Albright has a bulldozer," Jimmy said.

"No, he don't," Cody said. "Not anymore. Bank in Martinsburg repoed it several days before Black Saturday."

"That's right," Jeannie said. "My son told me about that. He was the one who repossessed it for his bank." She sighed, covered her eyes briefly and looked back at them. "We need to burn the bodies. Gather together all the brush, cut firewood and fuel that you can. We'll burn as much as we can, then bury the..remains...afterward."

The other five stared at the older woman for several seconds, then Jane finally asked, "What about the children? We can't do that in front of them."

Jeannie looked at Jane quietly and said, "After we gather what we need, including any bodies from the nearby homes and inside the church, I figured that you and Eric would take the kids back to Carthage, then come back to help. First, Jimmy, you need to use the Geiger counter to scan the dead bodies, while everyone else gathers the wood and fuel. If there are any...contaminated bodies, they'll have to be disposed of a different way." She looked at the skies as the sun disappeared behind the trees. "We need to do what we can while we still have light."

**oooooooooo**

Back at Carthage, Daria sat alone on the back steps of the church. Martin walked over and carefully sat down near her in the dark. "I'd rather be alone, please," she said. "I don't want to talk right now."

"Would you settle for someone sitting beside you in silence?" he asked. "You're not alone, you know."

"I can't go into Maryland to find my family, Martin," she said. "Jane's all I have left from home. If I lose...if I lose her, then I am alone. Totally and truly alone." She sniffled and covered her face for a few seconds.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked. He could barely see her shake her head.

"No. Stay out here if you want. Just...don't talk."

For several seconds, he said nothing, then he spoke quietly. "I'll just say one thing, Daria, then I'll be quiet. I have an aunt, named Mary. My mom's sister. She's a professor at George Washington University. On Black Saturday, she was supposed to have gone to Mount Vernon for a field trip with her history class. We don't know...we don't know..."

Daria looked at him and thought that she saw his chin quiver. "I didn't know," she said quietly.

He looked at her and said in a slightly choked up voice, "Don't say anything to Mom or Dad about it. They'd be mad at me if they knew I told you. You see, Daria, you and Jane are not the only ones in the dark about family members. Quite a few here have missing family members. Doc Kathy's family is from Philadelphia, I know that."

Daria reached over and put a hand on his left shoulder and he looked down at the ground. She saw tears streak his cheeks in the moonlight. "My sister was at the Mall of the Millennium on Black Saturday," she told him. "I...I don't even know what to do except try to find my parents. Now I can't even do that."

They looked at each other and suddenly embraced in a hug. Their shoulders muffled the sounds of crying.

It was nearly 10 p.m. when John Peters came around to Daria and Martin shining a flashlight. Both teens covered their eyes and protested. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything," he said, his voice reflecting slight sarcasm.

"We were just sitting here, Dad," Martin said. "Talking."

"Yeah," Daria said in agreement, "about my family."

"I believe you, Daria, Martin, but to others, it may appear improper, you two being out here alone. But the main reason I came to get you is that a truck's on the way here."

Daria got to her feet quickly. "Just one?" she asked.

"We don't know what's going on, yet. Let's see."

The three walked up to the front entrance where at least 25 people waited, including Kathy, Glen and Rev. Harris.

The truck finally arrived, piled up with the children from Morrisville. Several of the adults moved to assist the youngsters out and, under Kathy's direction, led them to inside the church to be checked out.

The other adults besieged Jane and Eric as they got out of the truck. Eric broke through the crowd and ran inside the church and everyone watched him, then turned to Jane.

She blinked and said, "They...they were massacred...over there. Almost all of them were dead."

"What happened with Eric?" one woman asked.

"His sister is one of the dead."

There was several seconds of silence, then Rev. Harris asked, "Are there any more survivors at Morrisville?"

Jane's chin trembled. "No. There are 80...85 dead bodies there. We need to go back and...burn the bodies."

"Burn the bodies?" one person asked out loud. "That's not right! We can't do that!"

One elderly man, the oldest member of the Carthage congregation, spoke up. "Yes, we can. It's a lot easier than digging out 85 plots--or one mass grave--by hand. You've never dug a grave, Jim, so you don't know. It's hard, time-consuming, backbreaking work for one grave, let alone 85. Unless you want to try and get in touch with the county government for their help. How many county employees have you seen since it all started? I haven't even seen a sheriff's deputy since two days before 'Black Saturday'. For right now, we have to take care of ourselves. That means burning the bodies of those 85 unfortunates."

"Wait a minute," Glen said. "I just remembered something. The Morrisville church had more than 150 active members. What happened to the other 50 or so members?"

Jane looked at him. "They could have run off, or been away before. I don't know. We only found 85 dead bodies and the 15 living children. I need to get back and help them."

Daria moved up to Jane, hugged her, and asked, "Are you O.K.?"

Jane blinked and swallowed. "It was horrible, _amiga_," she said. "Simply horrible."

They broke the hug and Daria said, "I'll come with you and help."

Jane shook her head. "No. Please, Daria, don't."

John Peters said, "I think that both of you should stay here and several of us men go over there and lend a hand."

"We should also take some food with us," Glen said. "Give the men and Jeannie a chance to eat."

Finally, five men took the pickup back to Morrisville, while Daria and Martin took Jane inside the church. They took her weapons while she went to the church's shower, set up in the back of one member's RV, and fed with spring water.

After Jane got cleaned up, she laid down in her sleeping bag and cried, while Daria sat beside her and held her right hand.

Outside a glow could be seen in the night sky towards Morrisville.

**oooooooooo**

Late the next day, several people walked into Morrisville from the direction opposite Carthage. A tall, skinny young man led a woman and two young children carefully towards the church. They looked around at the signs of damage and grimaced at the smell of burnt flesh that lingered in the air. "What happened?" the woman asked.

"I have no idea," the man said and held a Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum ready. He pointed at one ranch-style home. "I'm going to check this house. Maybe we can spend the night there, then check out the next town."

She took his arm and held it tightly. "Be careful."

He kissed her and they smiled at each other. "Don't worry, Pam. I won't take any chances."

She watched him as he walked. He moved carefully with his pistol ready, and a guitar slung over his shoulders.


	23. Chapter 23

It was three-fifteen in the morning when Jane sat up suddenly wide awake and looked around. _What the hell? _she thought. _What just happened?_

The sight of dozens of sleeping church members spread out over the community room reminded her where she was. She glanced at Daria, who slept a few feet away from her. The petite brunette breathed deeply, but wasn't snoring.

Then she saw Jimmy as he moved on his rounds as a part of the mid-watch. He nodded at her as he moved by and whispered, "You O.K.?"

She nodded and laid back down. But sleep was a long time coming for her.

**oooooooooo**

_Daria found herself in the woods. She walked beside Martin; they held hands and glanced at each other happily. It was early fall; the leaves were a mixture of reds, yellows, golds and a few holdout greens. The sun was out and the sky a solid blue, which made the fall foliage shine out even more. The ground was coated enough so that when they walked, they crushed leaves._

_They smiled at each other as they stopped under a tall maple tree alight with golden leaves. When they faced each other, they embraced and began a full and lingering kiss._

_When the kiss broke, Daria laid her head gently in his shoulder and smiled as she felt him repeatedly kiss the top of her head._

_The sound of crunching leaves nearby made her jump. As she moved back, a pistol fired twice and Martin was struck in the chest. He fell back against the tree without a sound and slid to the ground, his eyes shut. Blood stained the tree where he had landed against it. "Martin!" she yelled and stared at his body in horror._

_Daria turned to face the shooter and saw Larry Carter standing in front of her, his .357 Magnum in his right hand. "No," she whispered. "Not you. It can't be you."_

"_We have unfinished business, 'sweetie'," he said and smiled. He pointed at Martin's body. "Your 'man' isn't a part of that business."_

"_NO!" She turned around to run and found herself facing a woman and three small children. She stopped and blinked in confusion._

"_How could you?" the woman asked, her face reflecting both anger and sadness._

"_What?" Daria asked._

"_How could you? He was all we had. Now we have nothing."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_He was our breadwinner, our provider. Now, we are nothing without him."_

_Daria turned to run and found herself face to face with a now-decomposed Larry Carter, who said, "BOO!"_

Daria was face down in the pillow, so her screams were muffled as she awoke from the nightmare. She lifted her face and rolled over onto her back. She breathed deeply and shivered as the nightmare replayed itself in her memory.

She glanced over at Jane and saw that her friend was snoring lightly, her mouth wide open.

Then she thought about Martin and looked over across the room where his family slept. _Why the hell would I dream about him like that? We're not involved._

Finally, she yawned several times, closed her eyes and turned onto her left side. _Yeah, he's a pretty good guy_. She smiled and yawned again. _That part of the dream was nice_. She faced the wall and slowly drifted back into sleep.

**oooooooooo**

A little after six the next morning in Morrisville, Pam awoke and gently moved out of the bed to keep from waking her two daughters. She tiptoed out of the bedroom and found her man standing guard in the living room. He watched out the bay window quietly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the area. She moved up and kissed the left side of his neck.

He jumped. "Hey, you're up early," he said. "You only got four hours of sleep."

Pam snuggled her face into his chest. "It would have been better if you were there beside me," she said and wrapped her arms around him. "I can't sleep anymore anyway and I thought that you could use a little more sleep."

"Heh," he said and snorted, a wry smile on his face. "I haven't been able to sleep good since Black Saturday. Since I lost her."

"Honey, she could be out there alive. Trying to find you."

A tear welled up in his right eye and he wiped it away. "I tell myself that, but I know that she and her best friend wanted to go to the Smithsonian. They thought I was asleep when they talked about it. But I heard them. Then, a couple weeks later, Black Saturday happens." He sighed and shook his head.

"Shitty coincidence," she muttered.

"Yeah."

Pam looked outside at the church and its grounds. "What do you think happened here?" she asked quietly.

"An outlaw raid, like what happened at the refugee camp at Taylorsville."

She closed her eyes and held him even tighter. "If you hadn't been there..."

"I was there," he said quickly. "That's all that matters." He carefully loosened her arms and kissed her forehead briefly. Then he kissed her mouth and smiled at her. "I think what happened here is that they were raided, lost a lot of people, burned the dead and moved on. I want to check out the church, see if there's anything inside that we can use, before we leave."

"Do you want us with you?" she asked.

He shook his head again. "I want you and the girls to stay here and stay hidden until I get back. No sense taking too much of a risk." He drew his pistol, gave her another smile and stepped outside.

She said his name and he turned around. "Be careful, loverboy."

His smile widened and he nodded. "I will. After all, you owe me a 'rematch' for the other night."

She gave him a seductive smile. "Whenever you're ready for it, I'll be there."

**oooooooooo**

He walked into the church carefully, his pistol held against his shoulder and ready in his hands. The church interior was in total disarray, but it was apparent that a haphazard clean-up had been done. However, there was a strong blood smell and it made him grimace and breathe through his mouth. The auditorium and the pulpit had some blood missed by the cleaners, but no bodies.

Then he went downstairs and shook his head. "Whoa." A rat licked at a small pool of blood, but ran when it saw him. "Good thing that Pam and the girls aren't here now."

**oooooooooo**

Pam saw him walking back nearly 30 minutes later, a roll of paper towels in his left hand. As he walked onto the front porch, she gave him a questioning look.

He shrugged and held up the paper towels. "It was cleaned out, babe. This was all that was left." He covered his eyes, shook his head and took several deep breaths. "Whatever happened here was bad, really bad. They lost a lot of people. There was blood everywhere, but they did try to clean it up."

She pulled him to her and they embraced tightly. "I'm glad we weren't here when it happened," she said quietly. "I don't want to lose you or the girls."

He patted her back and sighed. "I don't want to lose you three, either."

**oooooooooo**

Daria felt a hand shake her left shoulder gently. "Go-way!" she mumbled and waved her left hand to her side.

"Wakey-wakey, _amiga_," Jane said in her left ear. "Half the day's gone and time's a wasting."

Daria sat up, stretched and rubbed her eyes. Then she put on her glasses and looked up at a nearby clock. Her mouth dropped open and she turned to her friend. "Lane! It's 6:40! What kind of drug are you on?"

Jane smiled at her and laughed briefly. "We're going hunting this morning. Martin's going to help us and teach us what we need to know. He's getting us some coffee right now."

"When did you two conspire to do this to me?"

"Last night, Daria. When you took your shower."

Daria sighed, pushed up her glasses and covered her eyes. "Why would I want to go hunting? Why would you want to, either, for that matter?"

Jane's eyes took on a faraway look. Quietly, she said, "How are we going to be damn tough bad guys if we don't even know how to hunt, Daria? After what I saw at the other church...I'm not so sure things will ever be normal again. I've had hopes, but after that...I don't know."

She moved and leaned back against the wall. "We can't exactly run out for a pizza anymore or go to a burger joint. Neither one of us have any experience at hunting or prepping an animal for dinner."

"It's called 'dressing' an animal," Martin said as he walked up, two cups of coffee in his hands. "Though, to be honest, I don't know why it's called that. I mean, considering you skin and gut an animal, it should be called 'undressing' an animal."

Daria glared at Martin, took the offered cup of coffee and said, "Not exactly what I wanted to hear before breakfast, Martin." She took a big sip of coffee and swallowed. Then she coughed and her eyes widened. "What...what did you do to this?" She hit the top of her chest and took several deep breaths.

Martin smiled. "It's an old family recipe," he said. "Top secret."

She blinked and looked warily at the cup of coffee. "You're just afraid that I'm going to hurt you is what it is," she muttered.

"Actually, I'm more afraid that Dad will hurt me when he finds out that I took a bottle of his cherry brandy."

Daria looked at her coffee cup and nodded. "That explains why my throat is burning right now." She then looked at Martin. "I thought that Christians didn't drink alcohol."

"It's not a sin to drink alcohol," he said, a smile on his face. "Drinking to excess, especially lots of times, is another matter. It's the same thing with eating to excess."

Then Daria saw Jane smirk at her and said, "You knew what was in it, Lane. I can tell by your guilty expression."

"I told him not to tell you right away, Daria. Not only did I want to see your reaction, he needed to see it, too."

Daria gave Jane an evil smile. "I won't tell you ahead of time when I plan to shoot you. I'd rather it be a nice surprise."

Jane giggled and sipped more of her coffee.

"I'll go get my weapons and be right back," Martin said and walked off.

Daria stood up, sat the coffee on a nearby table and stretched again. Someone sleeping nearby mumbled, turned over and started snoring lightly. She looked at Jane and asked, "What wild animal are we going to kill today? Bear? Deer? Whale? Pterodactyl?"

"Squirrel and rabbit," Jane said. "Maybe I should say, 'be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm hunting wabbit, heh, heh, heh, heh.'"

"You're insane, Lane. Insane, I tell you."

"Seriously, Daria, I saw a recipe for squirrel stew that sounds real good. I'd like to try it."

"Squirrel and dumplings is a real good dish, too," Martin said as he walked back up. "Especially with a bunch of cornbread."

Daria looked at the two of them and groaned. "You two are nuts! Couldn't this wait until a more civilized time?"

"Come on, Morgendorffer," Jane said. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Still under the blanket, hoping you two will shut up." She stepped aside, grabbed her pistol and holster and put it on. "Have they made breakfast yet?"

Martin handed her a packaged toaster pastry. "Chocolate fudge, just for you," he said.

Daria took it and looked at him. "I asked for one of these several days ago," she said. "They told me they didn't have any. So why did they lie to me?"

"They didn't," he said. "This is out of my personal stash of chocolate items. One particularly bad winter several years ago, we got snowed in and I ran out of chocolate for a month. Since then, I've kept up a consistent supply. I like to be ready if it ever happens again."

Daria looked at the pastry warily. "How old is it?"

"I rotate my stock, Daria," he said quickly. "I bought it a week before Black Saturday. After all, nothing is sadder than chocolate past its expiration date."

She opened the wrapper, took one pastry and bit off a corner. As she ate it, she looked at him and thought of her dream. The memory made her blush and she looked away and swallowed. "Thank you, Martin. But why are you giving me chocolate out of your supplies? Considering Black Saturday and its aftermath, you may not get any chocolate for awhile."

He tapped his left shoulder carefully. "You earned the right to it," he said. "You earned it for both you and Jane."

Jane moved up and whispered in Daria's left ear, "He's buttering you up, Morgendorffer. He gives you some chocolate, then you're supposed to give him some kissy-kissy."

Daria blushed even deeper then and glared at Jane, who laughed and moved away quickly. Then the tall runner donned a jacket, then grabbed the .10-gauge shotgun and her AK-47.

Martin had a .410-gauge shotgun and a .38-caliber pistol strapped around his waist, and put on a hunting vest.

In addition to her .357 Colt Python, Daria picked up the double-barreled .12-gauge shotgun. She put on her jacket, sighed and said, "Lead on, McDuff."

As they left the community room and headed for the main church exit, Jane sang lightly, "Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work we go." Then Martin whistled along with her and Daria rolled her eyes. _This is going to be a long day._

**oooooooooo**

As they walked down the road, Jane noted how Daria and Martin walked side by side and smiled. _If Daria was the type to hold hands, she'd already have clamped onto his hand by now._

First, they stopped at Martin's home, nearly a mile down a side road. "What are we getting here?" Daria asked.

"More ammo," he said. "I've only got three shells for the .410. Figured that I'd stock up on it. I have a question for you two. Do you have a .410- or .20-gauge shotgun?"

Both girls shook their heads and he continued, "O.K. My .16-gauge is broke and I have only the one .410. We'll use what you got. The animals we're hunting probably won't get too close to you, which is just as well. Look in the upper branches of trees for the squirrels, and on the ground for the rabbits. Let me see your ammo."

The girls handed him one .12-gauge shell and one .10-gauge shell.

Martin sighed. "Buckshot. Birdshot's better for this kind of hunting, but I've used buckshot before. We'll make do, especially since you'll be shooting at a distance."

Jane said, "You wouldn't happen to have any .10-gauge ammunition, would you? I have two shells left."

He turned to her and smiled. "As a matter of fact, I have half a box of .10-gauge shells. One of my uncles from Kentucky left it here."

"What do you want in trade for it?"

Martin thought a second. "I don't know. What have you got?"

"I'll tell you what. You give me the shells and I'll give you Daria."

"Another word," Daria said quickly, "and I'll shoot the two of you."

Jane smiled and said, "She thinks she's worth more than that. Throw in a quilt and we'll be even."

"Lane," Daria said, her tone of voice a warning.

"Calm down, Daria." To Martin, she said, "We've got a bottle of Old Crow. How about that?"

He smiled. "Deal!" They walked down a darkened hall to a bedroom decorated in hunting gear and filled with books.

Daria looked at his books and smiled. "I didn't know you were so well read," she said.

He smiled back and shrugged. "Most people don't want to hear about it. I don't tell anybody anymore, cause I'm tired of being razzed over it."

"You have a lot of classics," she said. "What do you like the best?"

"_The Odyssey_," he said. "My sixth grade teacher read it to us in school. Herodotus, however, is like an ancient version of _Sick, Sad World_, so it's fun to read, too."

Jane looked at him. "_You_ like _Sick, Sad World_?"

"Yup," he said as he opened up a dresser drawer and searched in it.

Jane leaned over to Daria and whispered, "He's a catch. Get him."

"Shut up, Lane," Daria whispered back.

Martin turned with the half box of .10-gauge shells and a box of .410-gauge shells. "Did you say something?"

"Jane was just being illiterate again," Daria said. "Let's go on and hunt."

**oooooooooo**

The four left Morrisville after searching each of the houses carefully. They only found a can of macaroni and beef, which they heated on a camp stove they found in one garage. The man found a backpack, which they loaded with different items that were useful. In addition to the stove and the paper towels, they took a hammer and several clothespins.

They made the walk in silence for the most part. He felt that talking was dangerous until they knew that they were in safe territory.

After about 90 minutes, he had them stop and climb down from the road to a creek, where they soaked their feet and relaxed. He talked to Pam as they looked over an old road map. "It says here that the next place we'll come to is Carthage. Have you ever been there?"

Pam shook her head. "My family's closer to Ashland, Kentucky and that area. This is the first time I've even been here." She sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry if this sounds bad, but I wish we never went to Maryland like we did. Vacations are fun, my ass. It nearly got the three of us killed."

"It's O.K.," he said. "You couldn't have known about Black Saturday." They hugged and smiled at each other.

After a half hour, the four moved down the road again. He looked at her as they walked and said, "I wonder how big Carthage is?"

Just then, two men in hunting jackets and ball caps came out and aimed rifles at the man and Pam. "Freeze!" one of them said. "Don't move."

The adults stopped suddenly and the children started crying.

"We're just trying to go on our way," the man said carefully as he slowly moved his hands up. "We don't want any trouble."

"Where'd you come from?" one man asked.

Pam spoke up, "We walked from Maryland. We just want to go home."

The two men looked at each other briefly, nodded and lowered their weapons. "Sorry about that, folks. We had a raid not too long ago and we're trying to play it safe."

"I can see that, dude," Pam's man said. "Morrisville didn't look too good."

"It wasn't good at all," the other rifleman said. "If you folks are interested, you can come to our church shelter. We have hot food and a doctor there."

They agreed and one of the men lead the way while the other went back on his patrol.

**oooooooooo**

As the smoked cleared from the .10 gauge shotgun, Jane blinked and said, "I don't get it. Where's the squirrel?"

Daria looked at the spot where the squirrel had been, now a smoking chunk of torn-up dirt. She looked at Jane and asked, "'You think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?'

Jane sighed and said, "Shut up."

Martin started to say something, but saw a twinkle in Daria's eye and waited.

"Yup," Daria added. "'Nice shooting, Tex!'" 

"Be quiet, Daria." 

Daria took on a mock western cowboy stance and then said, "'Dead or alive, you're coming with me.'"

"O.K., that's how you want to play it, huh?" Jane muttered. She looked at Martin and said aloud, "You give me a box of those pastries and I'll give you five minutes where you ask me _anything_..." Jane stared at Daria then. "...and I'll tell you the truth." 

"Deal," Martin said, a smile on his face.

A look of alarm showed up on Daria's face and she quickly said, "Now wait a minute. I..."

Jane turned to her. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that when horse trading is going on, the 'horse' doesn't get a say? Now be quiet and look cute. I'll get more in the trade."

Martin's smile widened and he looked at Daria as he said to Jane, "Give me ten minutes, and I'll give you three boxes of ammo for that .30-06, too." 

Jane smirked and laughed. "Make it four boxes and a pack of gummi bears, and I'll give you 15 minutes and a photo of her."

"JANE!" Daria cried out in alarm.

"Not _that_ kind of picture, Daria. But it will be a _good _one, I promise."

"Deal!" Martin said and held out his hand. Jane took it and they shook hands.

Daria looked down at the ground and said in defeat, "Why didn't you offer to let him check under the hood?"

"He already did that, _amiga_, and he had to get shot for that one."

"I hate you, Lane," Daria said.

"Yes, yes, I know. Now be quiet while I give him your reins, dear."

**oooooooooo**

Nearly three hours later, Daria, Jane and Martin headed back towards the church with a catch of 12 squirrels and four rabbits. "Now this was a learning experience for the two of you," he said. "We got our game, but for future reference, if you see a squirrel 10 feet away from you, don't shoot it. Too much chance for a ricochet effect. When we get back to the church, we'll catch a quick snack and work on this in the back yard."

"I ought to shoot both of you," Daria said as they walked. "No jury on earth would convict me."

"'All's fair in love and war,'" Jane said as she looked at her box of pastries.

"Oh, come on, Daria," Martin said. "It wasn't that bad."

"If you two will excuse me, I'll find a paper sack and hide my head in it for the rest of my life." She glanced at Martin. "I can't believe that you actually asked her that." She then looked at Jane. "And I can't believe that you actually told him."

"It's not like it's a great big secret, Daria," Jane said.

"Oh? How many people know it, then?"

Jane stopped, stroked her chin and smirked. "Let's see. You...me...and Martin. All the important people. Unless you want me to announce it in front of the church."

"Jane!"

Martin and Jane laughed as they walked around a curve in the road and came into sight of the church. Suddenly, Jane screamed and Daria jumped, then looked at her in shock.

"TRENT! MY GOD, IT'S TRENT!" Jane sprinted towards the front of the church where the tall, skinny man stared at her in absolute shock.

Daria froze where she was and saw the woman and children who were with Trent.

"Who's Trent?" Martin asked.

At first, no voice came out of Daria's mouth. She cleared her throat and said, "Her brother." _Who are the woman and kids?_

Daria and Martin walked up to the front of the church, where Jane was clamped onto her still in shock brother and cried into his chest. The people with Trent stared at Jane as if she was a crazy person.

Around the scene, various church members stared at the scene with some confusion. Jane continued to cry as she held onto Trent.


	24. Chapter 24

"Janey?"

Trent's one word question spoke volumes to Daria. He not only didn't expect to see Jane, it was apparent that he had thought that she was dead.

Then he added, "But you're...how? How are you here? Why are you here?"

Jane said nothing and still cried into his chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his body

Then Trent saw Daria walking beside a teen boy and he said, "Daria? How did you two end up here? I thought that you two were...gone. I thought you went to Washington on Black Saturday."

Daria looked at the woman and girls with Trent, then spoke, "We were...south of Pittsburgh, in West Virginia...on Black Saturday."

Trent wrapped his arms around Jane and closed his eyes for several seconds as they hugged each other tightly. Then he looked back at Daria. "South of Pittsburgh? I don't get it. I don't understand. Why West Virginia? Why did you come to West Virginia?"

"We went on a road trip, Trent," Daria said and looked down. "We drove where we did because it was there." She took a deep breath. "And we've been trying to get back ever since."

Jane pulled her head off of Trent's chest and kissed his left cheek hard. "Thank God you're alive! I have been _so_ worried." She sniffled. "I am so glad!"

Rev. Harris moved up then and said, "I take it that you know this young man, Jane?"

Jane smiled at the preacher amid her tears and said, "Rev. Harris, this is my brother, Trent. He's alive! He's alive!"

The preacher held out his hand. Trent took it and they shook hands. "Welcome to Carthage, Trent. It's good to meet you."

"Likewise, man," Trent replied. "Thanks for taking care of Jane and Daria."

"They've been a blessing to us, trust me. Now, let's meet your companions, shall we?"

Trent peeled Jane's arms off of him, kissed her left cheek and held out his left arm towards Pam. She moved against him and smiled. "This is my girlfriend, Pam Garrett, and her daughters, Amber and Vickie."

_Girlfriend? _The word repeated itself in Daria's mind as she stared at the woman next to Trent. They embraced and Trent kissed the top of her head. The two little girls clung nervously to their mother's legs.

Daria felt a cold, sinking feeling in her belly as she watched Trent kiss the woman. But then the woman kissed Trent in response, a lover's kiss and all the signals that sent out to those who watched.

She looked at Jane and noted her almost euphoric expression. Different church members came up and shook Trent's hand, or that of the woman with him. Many of them also gently patted Jane's back. A couple of them even told her, "Congratulations, God has indeed blessed you."

The teen girl's face went red behind her glasses and her mouth felt dry. She blinked and turned to walk away.

Martin was beside her and said, "I'm going to check out our game for radiation. If you want to stay here a bit with your friends, I'll wait to show you how to dress them."

"No," Daria said and glanced at him. "I'm ready to learn. Now."

He stopped and noted her expression. There was no smile, none of the relaxed, teasing camaraderie that they (and Jane) had shared on their hunt. He could feel the coldness radiating from her. He said, "Don't you want to--"

"No. Let's go."

He sighed and said, "O.K." and led her to the back of the church. He retrieved a Geiger counter and scanned the game. All the carcasses were found to be clean.

Over the next hour, Martin went over the details of dressing squirrels and rabbits. Daria paid attention and even dressed one squirrel and one rabbit. She made no jokes, no snide comments and her only questions were direct and to the point. In fact, he noted that the only time her "armor" seemed to buckle was an initial moment of nausea when they gutted the first carcass. After that she did fine.

Jane never came back with them during that time.

As they were finishing up, they heard cheering inside the church and looked at the building. "I wonder what happened?" Martin asked, but Daria said nothing. "Daria..."

"No small talk, Martin, please."

"If something's bothering you, you can talk it over with me or somebody here at the church. Don't hold it in."

Daria looked at the ground, took a couple of deep breaths, and asked, "Do you remember when Jane told you that I was reticent?"

"That's not what she said, Daria. She said that you tended to hold in your emotions and kept quiet too much. Jane doesn't strike me as the type to use the word 'reticent.'"

She sighed and looked down. "You're a real smart ass, Martin Peters."

"I aim to please. Just one of the many free services I offer." He moved slightly closer to her. "What's bugging you? Ever since those people got here, you've clammed up."

"It's something I have to work out for myself, Martin."

"If I can help, let me know, O.K.?"

She still looked down, but nodded.

**oooooooooo**

As they reached the front of the church, one of the roving guards stopped them. "The power's back on!" he said, excitement evident in his voice.

Martin glanced at Daria and said, "That explains the shouting."

Daria muttered under her breath, "A clean indoor bathroom; here I come."

He smiled. "Outhouses do get old real quick, don't they?"

She stopped suddenly and looked at him, her face suddenly red all over again. "You heard me," she said and looked away. "Dammit, this is not my day."

Martin blinked at that comment, followed her and said, "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Daria. Sorry."

**oooooooooo**

Inside the church, Daria and Martin gave their game animals to a man and a woman in the kitchen and moved near where Trent was telling about his journey.

"...my Plymouth died on me and I had to leave it at the side of the road. That's when I found Pam and her girls."

"My car had died, also," Pam said quickly and smiled at Trent. "Trent took us with him to the rescue center at Taylorsville."

Daria got a glass of water for herself and Martin got a glass of lemonade. As they sat down at a nearby table, she started to ask, "Have you seen my--"

"Oh, that's so exciting and romantic!" one of the teen girls of the church said and a couple of others giggled.

Daria glared at the girls and opened her mouth again. This time, a man asked, "How many people were at that rescue center?"

Trent stroked his chin and said, "I'm not sure. Several thousand, I think."

"Yeah, you're right, honey," Pam said.

Daria started to speak again, but someone else jumped in with a question. She looked down at the table, muttered, "Shit! Forget it!" and covered her face with her hands. 

Martin looked at her and saw her frustration. He stood up and said in a loud voice, "HEY!" Everyone jumped and looked at him, Daria included. He then stared at Trent and said, "Daria has a question for you."

The girl's face was red once again as all the attention focused on her. "I'm going to kill you, Martin," she muttered and cleared her throat. "What about my family, Trent? Do you know where they are, or even how they are?"

Trent looked at her sadly and shook his head. She paled and he spoke, "I went to your house right after the Washington bomb went off, Daria. Your folks also thought that you went to Washington and were crying because they thought that you were...dead. When I left, they were going to go after your sister at the mall."

Daria exhaled slowly and looked down at the table, her mouth open. She slowly shook her head.

Jane got up, moved next to her and put her arm around her. "I'm here for you, _amiga_," she whispered. "I'm here for you."

Daria looked up stared straight at a clock on the wall and ignored the people around her as others questioned Trent and Pam. After a few minutes, she closed her eyes and laid her face on the table.

**oooooooooo**

"...news, General Simpson's office has announced that Erie and Crawford counties in extreme northwestern Pennsylvania are now listed as Red Zones, due to shifting winds and fallout from Cleveland. If you live in that area, listen to 640 on the AM dial for evacuation information.

"Army officials are allowing refugees to leave the Yellow Zones, provided they have a destination in mind and approval from that place. This is according to a CNN report issued this morning."

The station was changed and a new voice came on. "...when you use this stuff, you'll prove that you're a man of sophistication and not a rube. Why? Because you aren't scratching your privates in public, that's why!"

Jane giggled and tapped Daria's left arm. "He's back on, Daria."

Daria gave her a glance and looked back down at the table as Dr. Neon continued to speak. "Roly-Poly Jock Itch Powder. When the best is unavailable."

"Why does he have to be so crude?" Martha Peters asked aloud. Martin rolled his eyes and looked at Jane and Daria.

"To give you the news as I have it, CNN and The Forecast Channel are both back on the air, at least in the First Military Section. You don't even need cable or a satellite dish to pick them up, either. CNN is broadcasting on channels 3 and 5 and The Forecast Channel is on channels 7 and 12. Check it out and see for yourself that even nuclear war can't stop The Forecast Channel from telling you the weather in Kalamazoo.

"Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland has been locked down for at least three days. According to an unnamed source, there was an attempt to raid the Army's biohazard research facility there by people listed only as criminals. As you may know, the city of Frederick and its county have been under tight restrictions due to multiple riots since Black Saturday.

"Several riot instigators have been executed and many of the rioters have been put on decontamination duties in the southern part of Frederick County.

"In an unrelated story, the character known as 'Dr. Neon', that paragon of radio virtue that you're listening to right now, is wanted by government forces in the First Military Section. I informed one Army soldier that he could be found at the intersection of Broad and Locust in Philadelphia, but she didn't think that was very funny. Oh, well, screw her if she can't take a joke."

The radio was then turned off and a TV from the audio-visual closet were brought out and hooked up to an antenna cable. One of the older men tuned in channel 3 and CNN showed up on the screen. The sound was drowned out as several people cheered, but everyone calmed down as the camera focused on a little girl who looked to be five or six years old.

"I'm Kasey Meyers," she said and looked sadly at the camera. "I'm from Blue Ash, Ohio. My daddy was in Cleveland for his busi...busin...his job on that Saturday and he hasn't come home. I...I miss my daddy. If someone knows where he is, please send him home to me. Help me find my daddy, please."

Another child looking for missing parents was shown, as well as a few adults searching for lost mates or children.

Suddenly two women, one of them Kathy Wilson, got up and ran into the church sanctuary. They cried as they ran.

Jane looked at Daria and saw tears pouring from her eyes. Trent saw the same thing and said, "Janey..."

Daria jumped to her feet and bolted for the main door. As she went outside, Martin jumped up and followed her, followed closely by Jane.

Martha Peters started to stand, but John grabbed her arm and shook his head when she looked at him. "Let the boy go, Martha," he said.

"But he...I mean, she...Don't you see what's happening?"

"What's going to happen, will happen, dear. We can't stop it."

**oooooooooo**

Outside, Daria sprinted past the guards and made it into the cemetery before Martin and Jane could catch up with her. She came to a spot at the top of a hill and fell to her knees hard. Then she screamed at the top of her lungs and fell forward onto the ground. Her body shook as she bawled loudly.

Jane and Martin looked at each other, concerned and uncertain of what to do next. They finally moved near her and sat on the ground, one on each side of her. Martin gently laid his left hand on her back and Jane took hold of her left arm.

**oooooooooo**

Inside the church, Deacon Odell Jones walked up to the TV and changed the station to The Forecast Channel. He looked at the still stunned members and at Rev. Harris. "If some of you still want to hear those...so-called news stories, I suggest you watch it somewhere else. They shouldn't rub this in people's faces like that."

"We have a right to know what's happening out there, Odell," Cody spoke out. A few voices sounded out their agreement.

The deacon nodded, but crossed his arms over his chest. "I agree with you, Cody, but there's still a lot of people here uncertain of what happened to their loved ones out there. My nephew is stationed at Norfolk. I'm fairly certain he's dead, but like that little girl in Blue Ash, Ohio, I don't know for certain. I don't need constant reminders, like they also do with other disasters. It's in my mind enough as it is."

**oooooooooo**

"I'm alone!" Daria cried out as she laid face down on the ground. "All alone! I have nobody! Nobody!"

Jane gripped her arm firmly and said, "You are not alone, Daria."

Daria pulled herself up and sat facing the other two. She looked at Jane and said, "Your...your search, your quest is over. Trent has been found. But my family is dead." Her features scrunched up and she shook her head. "They're dead and I wish I had died with them!" Then she started bawling again.

"You don't know that yet, Daria," Martin said.

She lifted her head slightly. "You heard Trent. He said that my parents went to the mall to get Quinn." She cried some more. "How could they be alive? How?"

Jane and Martin looked at each other; both had fearful expressions on their faces. _You can go_, she mouthed. _I'll take care of her._

He shook his head. _I'm her friend, too_, he mouthed back and gently patted the crying girl's shoulder.

After several minutes, her cries subsided. She kept her face covered as she slowly calmed down. Jane and Martin waited.

Daria finally looked at them through tear-blurred eyes. "I loved them, Jane," she said. "Sometimes, they really aggravated me and got on my nerves, but I still loved them."

"I know, Daria," Jane said quietly. "I know."

"All those times, Quinn tried to tell others that I was her cousin or the maid or anyone else but her sister..." She laughed weakly. "...I wish I could hear her say it again. I wish I could watch Mom's attempts to be a better mother and listen to Dad go off on a wild rant." She wiped her eyes. "They were my family and I loved them."

She held her arms out to Jane and they hugged briefly. Then she turned to Martin and they hugged as well.

**oooooooooo**

It was nearly 11 a.m. the next day when an Army convoy drove into Carthage and stopped at the church. Several officers with the West Virginia State Police were along as an escort.

A major in battle gear, escorted by three armed enlisted men and a state trooper, approached the group of church members waiting at the foot of the church steps. "I'm looking for the person in charge of this rescue center," he said.

Rev. Harris stepped forward. "That would be me," he said and held out his right hand. "I'm Rev. Jack Harris, pastor of the church here."

The major smiled and they shook hands. "O.K., reverend, I'm Major Miller. What we're doing is checking out the situation in this area. We need to know how many people you have here, the refugees you have here from nearby states and a report of any radiation-induced sicknesses your people might be suffering, as well as any crimes to report."

Daria and Jane watched as several soldiers unloaded cases of MREs from the back of a semi-trailer. Other soldiers unloaded cases of canned water from the back of a second trailer.

Kathy Wilson talked with two officers, who took notes on a clipboard, while Glen Bates and two other church members discussed something with a sergeant.

Jane saw the police officer as he took notes and looked at Daria suddenly. "You know where we put Larry Carter's diary?" she asked.

"It's under the clothes in the SUV. I'd forgot to tell you, but I had a nightmare about that freak last night."

"Maybe we should give it to one of the police officers. Maybe you won't have anymore nightmares about him then."

Daria nodded. "You're right. Even with what's been going on, it might help them solve some murders from before."

They walked out to the SUV and Daria dug through the pile of clothes in the back. "Here it is," she said and handed it to Jane.

A police officer spoke to a soldier as the girls approached him and he turned to them. "Did you two need something?" he asked.

Jane said, "On Black Saturday, we were attacked by a man who tried to rape us. We got away from him, took his car and left him behind. We found this in his car later and thought that since you're the first policeman we've seen since before then..."

The policeman took the diary, opened it and read a couple of pages. He looked at them and asked, "Where were you when he attacked you?"

"We're not sure," Daria said. "We know it was east of Morgantown, because we drove from there on I-68."

"Do you know where you left him?" he asked.

The girls looked at each other and shook their heads. Jane said, "He took us at gunpoint and drove us around for awhile before we could get away. It took us a few days to figure out where we were at after that."

"It was somewhere near the Maryland border," Daria said, "but where exactly, we don't know."

"Are you two going to be here awhile?"

The girls looked at each other again and Daria said, "I know I will be for a few more weeks. I'm being treated for rabies and I still have two more shots to go. I...don't know about Jane here."

The policeman looked at the book and said, "I'll turn this in to an investigator with our special crimes unit. He or one of his colleagues may come out and question you in more detail."

"We did leave him naked," Jane said. "That's how we were able to get away."

"Thanks for turning this in," he said. "Are you two from around here?"

They shook their heads and Daria said, "We're from Lawndale, Maryland. We were away from home when Black Saturday happened."

"Hold on a second," the policeman said and looked to his right. After a few seconds, he called out, "Chaplain! There's a couple here you need to see!" An Army chaplain walked towards them. He turned back to the girls and said, "Give the chaplain the details of where you live and any family members that you're missing. We're trying to get families back together and it's not been easy."

A man in his early thirties, whose rank and insignia indicated him as a captain and a Jewish chaplain, smiled at the girls and took out a notebook. "I take it that you two aren't from here?" he asked.

Jane smiled at the man and looked him over briefly.

"Jane!" Daria whispered at her, then said to the chaplain, "We're from Lawndale, Maryland." She gave her name, address and details of her family.

Jane did the same, but added, "None of my family is there or even in Maryland, for that matter. They tend to be wanderers."

The chaplain smiled at her and said, "We still need all the information we can get, miss. After all, they may come looking for _you_. It would be best if you two stayed here for at least a couple of weeks more. When I get back to our base, I'll enter your information into our database. In your case, Daria, we'll be able to find what shelter your family's at. In Jane's case, that will help her family find her."

"Oh!" Jane said suddenly. "My brother, Trent, he's inside asleep."

"No surprises there," Daria commented.

"Hush, you," Jane replied. "He's just catching up on lost sleep." To the chaplain, she said, "You need to talk to him. He's going to leave with his girlfriend and her family in a few days. I'm not sure where they're going."

"I thought that you were going with them," Daria said.

"Not yet, dear," Jane said and smiled. "I told you weren't alone. I want to be with you when we find out where Quinn and your parents are."

Daria blinked, turned her head and wiped her eyes. "Thank you," she said in a thick voice and rushed away. "If you'll excuse me..."

The other two watched Daria move off, then Jane led him into the church.

**oooooooooo**

After several hours, the visitors left and everything settled back into their normal routines.

Martin was on watch when Daria approached him outside the church. "I need to borrow a book when you get off watch," she said.

He nodded and smiled. "Sure," he said. "What book would you like me to get?"

She returned his smile. "I'll trust your judgment. Later."

"Later, Daria."

**oooooooooo**

It was nearly 4:30 when Martin walked around a tree at his family's home and stopped in surprise. Daria sat on a porch swing and swung lazily as she waited.

"About time you got here," she said and smirked. "I've been here since before four."

"I washed up quickly," he said. "I didn't know you were coming here."

"I decided to look through your books myself," she said. "Hope you don't mind."

He cleared his throat and walked onto the porch. "Not at all." He unlocked the door and they walked into the living room As he led the way towards his bedroom, she turned and locked the front door. Then she followed him.

Martin flicked on the light switch and smiled at the familiar glow it gave. Daria reached over and turned it back off. He turned around and saw her look up at his face, a small smile on her face. In the shadows, she seemed closer than he expected her to be.

"No need to call attention to ourselves," she said.

"Uh..." he said.

"You learned all that stuff about me from Jane and weren't repelled. I'm glad. That's a good sign." She tapped his chest gently with her right index finger. "Are you in a hurry to get back?"

He swallowed and said, "No."

Daria pushed him back and he sat hard on the edge of his bed. "I'm going to ask you some questions about yourself--and I expect truthful and honest answers."

"Fifteen minutes worth?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no," she said. "This will take at least an hour. You learned some about me. I intend to learn a lot more about you than I know now." Then she sat on his lap and kissed him.

When she broke the kiss, Martin exhaled and said, "I like questions like that."

"I haven't asked any questions yet." Then she kissed him again.

**oooooooooo**

When Daria and Martin came back to the church, Jane looked at them. She saw their smiles and how they walked beside each other, almost in step. Daria carried a few books in her right hand and Martin carried two. "Hey, you two," she said quietly. "You O.K.?"

Martin simply smiled, said nothing and walked to the kitchen. Daria looked at Jane, her smile still on her face as she asked, "Why wouldn't we be O.K.?"

Jane smiled, leaned forward and whispered, "Do we need to save those diapers in the SUV?"

"What makes you think we'll need diapers, Jane?"

"You two were gone for more than an hour, Daria. I noticed it and so did Martin's mom. Then you both show up back here together, all smiles. I figured you were...busy, rubbing naked hairy bellies, or something just as fun, and dirty."

"We were talking, Jane, so keep your mind out of the gutter, if that's possible." She held up the books. "He also let me borrow some books, too."

Jane looked at her, her smile still on her face. "I don't need to tease you about Trent anymore, do I?"

Daria's smile widened slightly and she said, "No, you don't."

Martin came back with a couple cold bottles of Ultra Cola and Daria walked with him to a couch set off along a far wall.

Jane shook her head and said, "I'm going to have to think of new things to tease her on. That shouldn't be too hard."


	25. Chapter 25

A little after eight p.m. that night, Martin walked into the church's lunchroom. Jane was sitting with Trent and his "family" and waved him over. He smiled and headed in their direction.

Before he could get to the table, Martha Peters stepped in front of her son and stopped him. "I have a question for you, Martin," she said. "What were you and Daria doing when you were alone earlier?"

Martin anticipated this question, especially when he saw her stare at them after their return to the church. "If it's any of your business, we were talking," he said. "Plus I let her borrow a few of my books."

"It is my business," she said and moved up to him, her expression angry. "You expect me to believe that you two spent an hour alone and all you did was talk and loan out some books? How stupid do you think I am?"

He said nothing, but returned her glare.

Jane and the others found their attention drawn to the mother-son conflict.

"For your information, Martin, I didn't even approve of that hunting lesson you gave those girls. You and the two new girls go out alone in the woods for several hours? Do you know how that looked?"

"I'm a serious _and safe _hunter and you know it! I'm obligated to teach a friend or friends safe hunting, if he _or she _needs to know. Besides, I don't really care how it looked! Do you actually think my self-esteem is based on what some gossipy old biddies think? Earth calling Mom, it isn't!"

She crossed her arms over her chest and snorted. "Ha. The men of the church dismissed my concerns because of your so-called seriousness. How do you expect to be a preacher if you go traipsing off in the woods with two girls like that?"

Martin laughed, put his hands on his hips and said, "I told you before that I'm not going to be a preacher. That's _your_ calling, not mine. I get what you're driving at. You think that I did something _immoral_ with Daria, maybe even Jane, too."

Martha backed up slightly. "I...I just don't want you and Daria to make the same mistake that we..." Her words trailed off and her face went red.

A surprised look crossed Martin's face and he asked, "The mistake that you and Dad what?" She closed her mouth and said nothing as he continued, "What are you trying to say, Mom? Am I a...mistake?"

She turned to walk off and he said to her back, "That explains why I can't find out exactly when you two got married. You two couldn't wait and boom! Here I am? How stupid do you think _I_ am?"

Martha Peters turned back, rushed up to Martin and quickly slapped his face. The background sounds of lunchroom talking ceased and the attention of everyone in the room was now focused on the two.

"Oh, crap," Jane muttered.

"Ditto," Pam whispered.

"You listen to me, young man! I am your mother and I demand respect from you! What did you and Daria do when you two were alone?"

The youth's face and ears were beet red in color. "That is none of your business!"

"I want an answer!"

He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at her. "The question has been answered, Martha-5."

The second slap was harder than the first. Jane winced, Pam said, "Ow!" and Trent whispered, "Whoa."

"That's another thing," Martha said. "I certainly do not approve of the fact that you watched that _Logan's Run _movie when it had partial nudity in it."

Martin's smirk was still on his face, but there was a tear visible in his right eye. "There was nothing partial about Jenny Agutter's nudity, Mom. She was totally naked in it."

She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. "Martin, I want an answer to my question and you are pushing me."

"The. Question. Has. Been. Answered." With that said, he turned his back on her, looked straight ahead and walked off. After a few feet, he turned around and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Don't ever ask me that question again! It is NOBODY'S business!" Then he left the room. Martha stood there for several seconds, then left the room the way she had come in.

"What was _that_ about, Janey?" Trent asked.

Jane and Pam turned and looked at each other with their eyebrows raised, then at Trent. He noted their reactions and asked, "What?"

"Martin and Daria were alone for more than hour this afternoon," Jane said. "Then they come back all smiles and walking side by side."

"Sounds like they made a 'connection' and his mother didn't like it," Pam said.

Jane shook her head and said, "Knowing Daria and her shyness, it's hard to say whether they did or didn't." She smiled. "I'll certainly ask her about it again, though. Now, I'm going to check something out. Later."

"Later," they said and watched as Jane left.

**oooooooooo**

Outside the church, Jane found Martin in the cemetery on the hill where they had comforted Daria earlier that day. He leaned against a maple tree as he saw her approach. "Sorry you had to see that," he said and gave her a rueful smile.

"I didn't hear all of it," she said. "But I take it that your mother did not like the fact that you two were alone that long."

"She didn't like the three of us being alone on a hunt, either. The 'potential for immorality' was great, or some crap like that."

Jane leaned against the tree on its other side. "Martin, what did you two do when you were alone?" she asked.

He laughed and said, "I never realized that my private life would be so interesting. I'm not telling you. You'll have to ask Daria."

"You can tell me. I'm her best friend."

"No, I can't. I cannot confirm or deny anything."

"Why not? What are you afraid of?"

Martin moved in front of her, a smile on his face and said, "One, I'm not one of those guys who brags about a conquest--or lies about it, either. I haven't known you two that long, but I believe that if I did that, I'd lose Daria's friendship. That isn't worth it. Two, I value my health and body parts and I want to keep everything intact and in good working order. I'd really hate to piss Daria off. It would probably be...painful."

"I'm her best friend!"

"That brings me to number three. Since you are her best friend, it is up to her to tell you what she wants you to know." He laughed. "Nice try on questioning me, however. I take it that Daria didn't tell you anything earlier?"

Jane crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "No. I'll wait until she's off watch and try again. Unless you told her not to tell me."

He shrugged. "That's up to her. I'll trust her judgment on that. Now I have a question for you. When your brother and his woman showed up, Daria turned moody and cold. Would you know why she did that? She wouldn't tell me."

"I didn't notice that," Jane said. "Oh, boy. Do you remember asking me about Daria's big crush?"

"Yeah."

"Trent was her big crush."

"Oh."

"Then he suddenly shows up with a ready-made family. I never thought about her reaction to that. I was so happy about finding him alive that I forgot about her feelings for him." She blinked and looked at Martin. "That sounds pretty bad, doesn't it?"

"It sounds normal to me."

**oooooooooo**

An hour later, Martin was cleaning his shotgun in a Sunday school classroom as Trent walked in. "Hi," the teen said as he looked up briefly.

"Hey, dude," Trent said and sat down on a chair nearby. "Bad scene earlier."

"I'm sorry that you had to see it," Martin said. "My mother forgets that I'm not eight years old anymore."

"I have a question and since you're Daria's friend, I thought that I might be able to ask you."

"Sure. What do you need?"

Trent looked outside the room briefly, leaned towards Martin and asked quietly, "Where can Pam and I go for a little...privacy? Trying to find a room here in a church just doesn't seem right."

Martin blushed slightly, but stroked his chin and got some gun oil on it. "Most of the married couples here have homes nearby and go to them for a while. Others use their cars or SUVs with some shielding. If you're into nature, though, there's always the back of the graveyard. A lot of teen couples go there, but you can be caught by others, unless you have guards."

Trent laughed briefly. "I can't ask Jane about this, or Daria either."

Martin put the shotgun down. "Can I ask you a question? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Go for it."

"How come you and Daria...never got together?"

Trent seemed surprised by the question and stared at him briefly. Then he smiled and shook his head. "Well, she's still a kid, really, no offense, man."

"That's O.K."

"I like Daria and if we were closer in age, I would have asked her out. But then Black Saturday happened and..." He shook his head briefly and said, "You two seem to get along real good."

Martin smiled. "I like to think so."

"Daria's the coolest teenager I've ever met. If she considers you a friend, then you must be pretty cool, too." He held out his hand.

Martin took it and they shook. "You know, I keep thinking I've seen you before. Are you in a rock band?"

"Yeah, man. Mystik Spiral. Have you heard of us?"

Martin's expression lit up. "Have I? My cousin saw you at a place called 'Skunk's'. He got your 45 record of _Icebox Woman_. I had a turntable and we played it in my room one time."

"Whoa. Neat." Trent smiled. "What did you think of it?"

"It was great! We both got grounded."

"Your mother seems...intense."

"You could say that. I'd say obsessed myself. Oh, well. Would you want me to stand...guard for you and your friend? I won't watch and I can use the shotgun to warn you if someone tries to come up on you."

"Hey, could you, man? It's kind of hard to find time, with little girls around, and all."

Martin finished putting together the shotgun, stood up and said, "Sure."

"We're not married. Is that a problem?"

The teen shrugged. "That's your business. If you two decide to get married, however, Rev. Harris will gladly do it. I can tell you that."

"Maybe later, man."

They left the room together.

**oooooooooo**

Daria had stood watch with Deacon Jones in Glen's spring house and was thankful that it was over. He was a nice enough man, but the witnessing was getting on her nerves. _I like how Martin explained it better_, she thought and smiled. _Your actions are a better witness than your words._

She left alone to walk back towards the church, while the deacon spoke with Jimmy and Cody, their relief watches.

Suddenly, she heard Martha Peters nearby. "Can we talk a minute, Daria?" she asked.

Daria calmed down, relaxed her hold on her pistol stock and said, "O.K."

They walked a few feet and Martha asked, "What are you trying to do with my son?"

"Excuse me?"

"I want to know your intentions, Daria. Are you looking for a husband or are you just...having a fling with him?"

"We are just friends, Mrs. Peters. Nothing more."

"Just friends? You two were alone for more than an hour. If you're 'just friends', then you can be 'just friends' inside the church. Martin is going to be a preacher, Daria. It's his calling. Being alone with you...jeopardizes that."

_Oh, really? _Daria held in her anger and said, "Martin's goals sound different than yours."

"You are a guest, Daria. I'm asking you to respect my wishes for my son. After all, can you see yourself as a preacher's wife?"

_O.K., bitch, let's see you figure this one out. _"No, I can't," she said, a smile on her face. "I promise you this, Mrs. Peters. I will never put a preacher or even a seminary student in a compromising position or an awkward situation."

The woman looked relieved. "Thank you, Daria. I knew that you'd understand my position."

_But do you understand it?_

"God bless you, Daria."

"May your life be...interesting, Mrs. Peters."

Martha looked confused for several seconds, shrugged, then walked off towards the church ahead of the girl.

Daria looked up at the full moon and sighed. "Where's the werewolves when you really need one?" she asked.

A few seconds later, she stepped inside the church and yawned. Then she jumped when she saw Jane standing in the shadows, a smile on her face. "O.K., Lane, you're up to something," she said and took her rifle off her right shoulder. "Besides scaring the crap out of me. Whatever it is, it's no good."

"You missed the show while you were on watch."

"No, I didn't. I just got talked to by Martin's mother. She doesn't want me to 'damage' her son's reputation."

Jane laughed. "Really? Now, that's interesting. Because Martin and his mother got into it in the lunchroom earlier tonight. She slapped him in front of everyone. Twice."

Daria looked down and shook her head. "Oh, crap," she muttered. "Did you hear what it was about? As if I didn't know."

"It was about you and Martin and your 'private' time this afternoon. She demanded to know what happened."

"Oh, that's just great. What did he tell her?"

"Nothing. I think that's why she slapped him." She looked around briefly and added in a quieter voice, "She also...let it slip that Martin was a...mistake."

"What? Explain what you just said."

"I heard her tell him that she didn't want you two to make the same mistake she and his dad did. He didn't know about that, from his reaction."

"Did you talk to him about it?"

"About _that_? No way, but I did ask him about what you two did when you were alone."

Daria lifted the rifle and held in both hands as she looked at Jane. "Do I have to shoot you now, Lane, or is the damage already done? Do I have to shoot him, too?"

Jane laughed and held up her hands. "Relax, _chica_, relax. He said that if I wanted to know I had to ask you."

A smile crossed Daria's face and she said, "I like that. What is so important about you knowing anyway?"

Jane moved back slightly and her smile widened. She said, "Maybe you'd relax some if you did it."

"I'll help _you_ relax some, Jane." She held up the rifle. "Don't make me stick this down your throat."

Jane whispered, "Is that what Martin told you earlier?"

Daria blushed deeply, said, "That does it!" and chased Jane outside the church and into the parking lot, the rifle in her hands like a club. Deacon Jones stopped them, his hands in the air.

"Girls, what you two are doing is unsafe and immature. Leave the horseplay to the children."

"We're sorry," Jane said and looked down in a show of contrition. "We're just having a little fun."

"Yeah," Daria added. "Jane just wanted me to make an impression on her."

The deacon sighed. "I understand the need to let off steam, girls. But find a constructive and safe way to do it, please. Now, it's time for you two to settle in for the night.

**oooooooooo**

Inside the church, Daria glanced towards Trent and Pam, who slept with the two little girls nearby. She sighed and thought, _I hope she makes you happy, Trent. I really do._

Then she looked over at the space where the Peters family slept and noted that Martin wasn't with his parents. She moved over to Jane and whispered, "Jane! Where's Martin?"

"He hasn't been around his parents all night," Jane whispered back. "Go to the pre-K classroom. Knock three times gently, walk in and shut the door. He's waiting for you."

Daria blushed slightly, but smiled. "Thank you, Jane."

"_De nada, mi amiga. De nada."_


	26. Chapter 26

Daria slipped away quietly, her gaze on Martha's back as she moved to the hallway where the classrooms were located. She reached the pre-K classroom, knocked three times gently, walked in and shut the door.

In the sudden darkness, she felt a hand move down her back and heard the door as it was locked.

"Hi," he said quietly, his voice strangely thick. "Want to sit down? The room's soundproofed, so we can talk. "

Despite the fact she couldn't see him, she frowned at the tone of his voice. _He sounds like he's been crying. _She felt for his face with her left hand and quickly kissed him when she felt his chin. "Hey," she said, "are you O.K.?"

He guided her through the room and gently sat her on a couch. Then he sat beside her and put his arm around her.

"Martin, talk to me, please." She moved closer to him and laid the back of her head against his right shoulder.

"I now understand why I was repeatedly called a bastard when I was in elementary school." He sighed and kissed her forehead. "It's kind of funny, in a dark way. The blinders get removed and suddenly you have more answers than you ever needed. Or wanted."

Daria grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly. "It's not got the stigma it used to have," she said quietly. "Most people won't care now."

He sighed and let out a long exhale. "I know," he said. "But that's not what really bothers me. Mom...let me have it earlier...in front of a lot of people."

"I know," she said. "I heard about it from Jane." She hesitated, then added, "Your mom talked to me after I got off of watch."

Martin tensed beside her and sat up straight. "What did she say to you?" he asked sharply.

"She wanted to know what my intentions were for you," Daria said. "She told me that when we are alone together, it jeopardizes your chances of being a preacher."

"Of course," he said in a sarcastic tone of voice .

"When I told her that your goals didn't match hers, it was as if I had said nothing. When did she come up with this?"

"When I was eight years old," he said. "She had a dream where an angel told her that I would be a preacher. She took it as a message straight from God."

_Oh, crap, I'm involved with someone who's mother is a complete nutcase. _Daria sat beside him in silence for a few seconds, then asked, "What do you think it was?"

"She had a dream, nothing more." Daria relaxed beside him as he continued to speak. "She only had the dream once. I dreamed once that I took a shower with Tori Amos, but that doesn't mean that it's going to happen."

"But you want it to, don't you?" she asked and smiled. "You pervert."

Martin tensed and hesitated.

"What? You really do want to shower with her? You're a guy, so I'd expect that." He said nothing. "Come on, talk to me, Martin."

"If I say what I'm thinking, Daria, you'll hit me."

"And if you don't say anything, I'll still hit you. So you might as well speak so I can hit you anyway and get it over with."

Martin laughed gently. "I can't argue with that logic." He moved his lips to her left ear and whispered, "I'd rather shower with you."

Daria blinked, blushed in the darkness, and her mouth opened in surprise. She hit his leg with her free hand and said, "Dirty, dirty, dirty."

"Not if we take a shower together. Then we'll be clean, clean, clean. Eventually."

"And here I thought that you were as pure as the driven snow."

"I don't quite think 'pure' is the word to describe me."

She smiled again, then added, "I also told your mom that I wouldn't compromise a preacher or even a seminary student. She seemed pleased by that, even though you're neither a preacher nor a seminary student."

He laughed briefly and sighed. "I love my mom, but sometimes she's...kind of dense."

_I agree_, Daria thought. She hesitated, then added, "I also cursed her."

Martin tensed again and she felt a flash of panic as his right hand tightened its hold on her shoulder. "Might as well dive into this one head-first," he said, dread evident on his voice. "What four-letter metaphors did you use on her?"

"None. I wished for her to have an interesting life." For nearly a minute, there was silence and Daria waited tensely.

Finally, Martin put something over his mouth and muffled his laughter.

Daria relaxed as he laughed for more than a minute.

When his laughs subsided, he uncovered his mouth, took a deep breath and added, "You do realize that the curse went right over her head, don't you?"

"I got that impression. I think that she hears what she wants to hear."

"You've got that right. I've told her repeatedly that I don't want to be a preacher. Dad has told her that I should choose my own path. It does no good. I think even a nuke couldn't stop her."

**oooooooooo**

"John! John! Wake up!"

John Peters opened his eyes and looked up at his wife. She was sitting and appeared very upset. "What is it, Martha?" he asked groggily.

"Martin's gone and--"

"He was gone when you laid down," he interrupted her. "You know as well as I do that he's gone off to one of his hideouts to cool off."

"I don't see Daria where she's supposed to be, either. What if she's with him?"

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "What is so wrong with Daria?" he asked. "Why are you so fired up about her? She's a good kid!"

Someone nearby said in a stage whisper, "Keep it down, will you, John? Some of us actually believe in getting sleep during the night."

"Sorry," he said.

Martha lowered the volume of her voice. "Daria is the wrong kind of girl for him!"

John stared at his wife for several seconds and said, "She saved his life at the cost of her dignity, modesty and shirt. Martin said that she did it without hesitation. That speaks volumes about her personality. I think it's great that they're friends."

"Men! Sometimes you can be so blind! She is trying to lead him astray."

"Martin has found a friend who shares some of his qualities and likes. What is so wrong with that?"

"What are we going to do when she comes up and says that she's missed her period? Have you given _that_ some thought?"

John sighed and glared at her. "Why me, Lord?" he muttered. "Why me?" Then he added, "Martin and Daria are both very smart, and sensible."

"They're too smart for their own good, John. They're still prone to give in to the lust of the flesh."

"Like we did, you mean?" Martha glared at him and he continued, "If Daria were to suddenly come up pregnant, I'd be shocked, to say the least. You've heard Martin say before that something or other is 'a risk I don't have to take.' He takes safety seriously, even to a fault. Daria seems even more cautious than he is."

**oooooooooo**

Something plastic made a snapping sound and Daria watched as a glow stick lit up, casting them in a neon-blue hue. "Aren't you worried that your mother can find us in here?" she asked and looked at him.

"Not really," he said. "It's one of my hideouts, one that my dad doesn't know about. Mom only knows about one, and Dad knows about...five, I think."

"How many hideouts do you have?"

"Twenty-one," he said quickly.

There was some silence and Daria asked, "Why do you have hideouts, Martin? It sounds slightly strange, to say the least."

He caressed the side of her face and sighed. "Mom and Dad used to fight. A lot. I hid when they fought. As I got older, my hideouts went further away from my home and were better concealed. Some are just deer stands in a tree, or a small cave in the side of a cliff. One's even on top of a cliff."

"Did your parents abuse you?"

"What?" he asked in shock. "Oh, no, no, no. It wasn't that at all! I...just hated it when they fought. It always scared me. Now when things get unpleasant..."

"Like tonight?"

"...like tonight, I go to one of the hideouts and veg out."

"Have you thought about discussing it with them instead of...hiding?"

Martin said nothing for several seconds. "O.K.," he said finally, "what makes you think I'm hiding?"

"The fact that when things get rough with your family, you go to a hideout. If we grow together as a couple and things get rough between us, are you going to go to a...hideout? Or are we going to work it out like adults?"

He grunted. "Damn logic," he said. "Can't argue against it without sounding stupid. And I don't need help with that."

"You're welcome."

"You could have said, 'Oh, Martin, I love your hideouts idea. Tell me more pearl drops of wisdom.'" He said the quote in a falsetto voice.

"My boots send a clear message, Martin. I can kick you. But I'd rather kiss you." Then she did kiss him. "You said that this room was soundproofed. I thought that the nursery was the only room in the church that was fixed like that."

He smiled at her. "Before they renovated the church, this was the nursery. Screaming kids can be...disruptive during services."

**oooooooooo**

"I might as well get up," John said and put on his shoes. "If I don't, you won't let me have any peace."

"Go to his hideouts, John. Separate them. Now."

"I only know where seven of his hideouts are, Martha. He probably has 15 or 20."

"Then go to the ones where a boy and a girl can...can...I can't say it."

He started to move off, but stopped and looked back at her. "You know," he said as he smiled. "Your strategy might actually work."

Martha stood there, confusion evident on her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Your actions will probably drive them together at first. It'll also probably push them into a sexual relationship much faster than they would have under normal circumstances. Then when Daria does get pregnant too early, a resentment will build up between her and Martin. Eventually, they'll despise one another and split. Of course we'll have a grandchild by then, but hey, your plan will have worked. That's a classic, Martha. I should have looked at your long term plans."

The woman stood there and looked at her husband as if he were an idiot. "While you're standing there making dumb jokes, Martin and Daria are probably having sex!"

Several more voices called out. "Shut up!" "Do you know what time it is?" "Be quiet!"

Rev. Harris walked up, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. He rubbed his eyes and said, "With all due respect, John and Martha, if you two want to...have a discussion, take it outside, please."

**oooooooooo**

"Can I see your shoulder?" Daria asked.

Martin's response was to hold the glow stick over his shoulder.

She rolled her eyes and said, "O.K., smart ass, let me rephrase that. I want to take a look at your shoulder and see how well it's healing."

"Doc Kathy says it's healing nicely."

"Well, you're not with 'Doc Kathy'. You're with Dr. Daria, who wants to see your shoulder."

He said nothing, looked at her briefly and sat up. He removed his T-shirt and closed his eyes as she pushed him back into the couch cushion.

"Now you got to see me in my bra, remember?" she asked as she looked him over. "Consider this a payback for that."

"I was also in a great deal of pain then, so I couldn't really enjoy the scenery the way I should have."

"I'd watch what I said next if I were you, Martin."

"Did you ever see the show _Twin Peaks_? Or want to visit the Grand Tetons?"

Daria hit his right arm and smiled as she said, "Down, Rover, or I'll have Bob Barker get you neutered." She carefully loosened his bandage and looked at his shoulder as she held the glow stick over it. "You know what this is, don't you? It's a brand mark. It says 'branded by Daria'." She covered the wound again and pushed down on the tape strips.

"Are you saying that you own me?"

She gave him a brief smile, gently kissed the bandaged shoulder, and laid her head against his chest.

"During the hunt, Jane said that you were really shy," Martin said. "You haven't exactly been shy with me today or tonight."

She moved her arms around his back and held him tight against her. She whispered something.

"I didn't hear you, Daria."

"I said that I'm alone now. For all intents and purposes, my family is...I can't say it. I have to find my own way now. I've not been 17 long and I'm suddenly now an independent adult in a brave, new, radioactive world. If I stay...shy and...backward, I'll probably die a very violent and nasty death." She sniffled once. "I don't want to die. Not that way."

Martin moved his right arm around her back and held her tighter. "What if you find your family, alive and well?"

"I don't think I can go back to being a carefree high school student anymore. I've done too much...had too much happen to me...to ever be as I once was."

"Did...something...happen to you out there?"

Daria tensed and her chin quivered. She closed her eyes tight, but a few tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks.

Martin felt the tears and patted her back gently. "Talk to me, Daria, please."

She looked up at his face and said, "What I'm about to tell you is a secret. No one else must hear about it. Ever. Promise me."

"I promise," he said. "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

She grimaced. "That was a lovely mental image to have. Thank you."

"I aim to please."

She smiled briefly, then looked away and sighed. "On Black Saturday, I was nearly raped."

Martin pulled her head back against his chest and closed his eyes.

"My hands were tied up, he had torn open my shirt and bra and was kissing me hard. I couldn't stop him. I tried and I couldn't stop him. He had knocked out Jane before and...and...and..." She bit her lip and shuddered. "Jane came to as he was kissing me. He was about ready to...to...when Jane shot him."

"Is he dead?"

"Jane untied me and I then shot him in the balls."

Martin winced.

"We left him to die out there." She patted the .357 still on her right hip. "This was his and now it's mine." She sighed and closed her eyes. "If you want me to go now, I will."

His response was to hold her tight against him. "He got what he deserved, Daria. He got exactly what he deserved." He kissed her cheek, then her lips. "We can't spend the whole night here, but I'd like us to stay here a little longer. If that's O.K. with you."

"I'd like that," she said and returned his kiss.

**oooooooooo**

Outside, John Peters moved with deliberation towards the graveyard, while the first place Martha went was the furnace room of the church. She opened the door and flicked on the lights.

Suddenly, the sounds of frightened children rang out and she quickly shut off the lights. "Sorry!" she said. "I'm sorry!"

She turned around to find Odell Jones standing there. "Martha," he said, his tone indicating irritation. "I just had to lecture two kids for horseplay and I find it disquieting that I have to tell an adult to knock it off."

"I'm trying to find Martin!"

"He's being a lot more quiet than you are. The Morrisville children feel a lot safer in the furnace room, so stay out of there, please." He walked off and turned around. "I'd wait until morning if I were you. You know he always comes back." Then he walked back into the community room.

**oooooooooo**

"Daria! You fell asleep!"

"No, I didn't," she protested and pulled her head off his chest.

"Then you admit drooling on me, huh?"

"What?" She saw where she had drooled and wiped her chin. "Crap!"

He smiled and kissed her once. "As much as I would like us to spend more time in here, it's time for us to sleep in our separate places."

"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked as she wiped her chin again.

"My family's space." He put on his T-shirt and added, "Next time, you get to take off your shirt."

"Oh, really?" Then she saw a wet spot on his shirt and said, "You didn't clean off your chest."

He shrugged and smiled. "If Jane's awake and asks me about it, I'll just have proof that you drooled."

Daria returned his smile and patted her pistol. "Don't make me shoot you."

**oooooooooo**

Outside, Martha moved carefully through the parking lot. The roving guard ignored her and moved around the other side of the church building.

She saw a blue panel van rocking gently nearby. "I'll put a stop to this once and for all!" she said grimly and rushed up to the back door. Quickly, she grabbed the handle and yanked the door open...to find Melissa Smith naked and on top of her equally naked husband, Jimmy. "Omigod!" she cried out and gawked at the couple.

Melissa jumped off of her husband and threw a right cross at the stunned woman. When the punch connected and Martha fell back, the naked woman cried out, "You whore! Stop staring at my husband's body! Perverted idiot!" She slammed the door shut.

Martha held her nose for several seconds, then pulled her hand away. Blood covered it and she felt her nose swelling.

**oooooooooo**

Martin carefully opened the door, saw nobody looking in their direction and they quietly kissed and moved to their respective sleeping areas.

Daria took off her holster and glasses and laid them beside the sleeping bag. Then she quietly settled down to sleep and heard Jane move close to her.

"Have fun, Daria?"

"Go to sleep, Jane."

"Come on, Morgendorffer. Tell me something about what you did."

"He had a glow stick."

"Is that what you call it now?"

Daria groaned and slapped her hand over her eyes. _Why do I set myself up like that?_

Jane giggled beside her and said, "Nitey-nite, amiga. I'll get you with more jokes tomorrow."

"Not if I shoot you first, you won't."

Jane continued to giggle as they laid there.


	27. Chapter 27

_Daria ran through the woods in a panic; the leaves crunched as she ran. Every so often, she turned to look behind her and ran on._

Suddenly, near a large oak tree, she was shoved back and fell onto her left side. She turned to see Larry Carter standing above her. "No," she whispered.

"Thought you got away from me, didn't you, 'sweetie'?" he asked and leered at her. "You can't get rid of me that easy." He moved up and bent over to grab her.

A loud gunshot rang out and Carter spun around suddenly, a bullet hole in his left shoulder.

Daria turned to see Martin Peters standing there. He was shirtless, wore a bandanna tied around his forehead and held what looked to her like a machine gun one would find on a tank or a helicopter. "Martin..." she said.

He shot Carter several more times and the would-be rapist fell face down onto the ground.

"Sorry I'm late, honey," Martin said and held up the machine gun. "This thing weighs a ton!"

"Why do you look like Rambo?"

"I don't know. It's your dream. I'd rather look like Chuck Norris from Good Guys Wear Black _or_ The Octagon. _Like I said, it's your dream, so here's my Stallone impression...'Yo, Adrian.'"_

Daria rolled her eyes and held out her arms for him to take hold of. He laid the machine gun down and helped her to her feet.

They hugged and she closed her eyes as they kissed.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in what appeared to be a high-rise apartment in some big city like New York or Chicago. She wore a filmy white nightgown and looked down. She could see her body through the material and shook her head. "O.K., I guess I'm not in Kansas anymore. Now to find Toto."

There was a knock on the front door and she opened it to see Martin standing there in a conservative business suit, his hair slicked back and a Bible in his right hand. "Martin!" she said and held out her arms.

"Daria!" They embraced and kissed. This time, she kept her eyes open and when they broke the kiss, he said, "Mom's suspects something's going on. She can't believe that I keep running into you."

"Why can't we talk to her about us?" she asked. "I feel like a kept woman. I go days without seeing you and I miss you."

"I'm sorry, honey, but Mom has revivals scheduled for me into the next several years."

Daria blinked and asked, "But what about us? What can we do?"

"Well, I'll be preaching every night for I don't know how long, but for you..." He pulled a bag out from behind him and pulled out a dead rabbit and a dead squirrel. "You can dress these for me and we'll have squirrel and dumplings with cornbread one night and fried rabbit the next night."

She looked at the game and said in a monotone, "Oh, joy."

"Gotta go, Daria. I'm preaching at the big stadium here in the city. It seats more than 100,000! Watch me on TV!" He left.

"Martin! Martin! Don't go! Please come back!"

Daria mumbled into her pillow and suddenly opened her eyes. The sun was already out and she sat up and stretched. _Crappy dreams I'm having lately_, she thought. She put on her glasses and looked at the clock. "Seven a.m.," she muttered and looked to see that Jane was already up. "Might as well join her."

She got up, strapped on her pistol and stretched again. She saw Martin sitting in the back of the church sanctuary and plodded in her stocking feet to him. "Hey," she said.

He turned around, startled. "Oh, hi, hon--I mean, Daria."

She smiled. "You can call me 'honey' if you want. Just don't call me 'sweetie'."

"Why not?"

Daria's expression darkened and she looked over to where the cross stood behind the pulpit. "My would-be rapist called me 'sweetie'," she said and sighed. "Mom also called me that, so the memories are coming out mixed up." She looked back at him. "What are you doing in here?"

He yawned and said, "When I laid down last night, Mom and Dad were gone. But when they came back, Mom ripped me a new one. Apparently she thought that we were scr--I mean, having sex. I just got up and left again and came in here a few hours ago."

She looked at Martin in silence for nearly a minute. Then she said, "We have to talk to your parents. We have to talk about why you hide, we have to talk about how you're not going to be a preacher and we have to talk to them about us."

"It won't do any good, Daria. She--"

"What good do you think hiding does?" she asked. "It doesn't solve it, Martin. It just pushes it back under a rock. You can't hide your head in the sand forever. Eventually, you will have to face her."

She shook her head, lifted her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I like the time we spend together alone, Martin, but I want to be able to hold your hand in front of everyone else, including your parents. Yes, I am shy, but I am also fighting it. I have to now, since I'm an 'adult'."

Daria moved off to leave the sanctuary, but stopped and looked back at him. "If you cannot hold my hand in front of everyone else, then you cannot hold it in private, either." She walked on, stopped and looked back again. "Nor can you hold anything else in private."

Martin blushed and looked down as Daria left him alone.

Daria put on her boots, then found Jane helping Pam get her girls dressed. "You're up early, Lane," she said.

"Maybe if things calm down some, I'll sleep better," Jane replied.

"'If'? Are you sure you don't mean 'when'?"

Jane looked at her and shook her head. "Besides, Danny wants to eat breakfast with us...I mean, me."

"Danny? Danny who?"

"You know, Danny Smith. Jimmy's younger brother."

Daria smiled. "When did you two get together and why haven't you told me sooner?"

Jane smiled back. "He just talked to me last night, while you were playing with Martin's glow stick."

"Jane!"

The tall brunette giggled and added, "He was getting ready to go on patrol and we kinda hit it off."

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-two. He's an artist, too."

Daria nodded and asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, he said that he was going to show me some of his work. Maybe he'll even show me some of his art." She laughed. "Is Martin joining us?"

Daria shrugged. "Maybe," she said quickly. "I don't know."

Jane frowned. "Did something happen between you two?"'

"No. We just...have something we need to deal with."

Pam stepped up to them. "I think we're ready."

The five left a still-sleeping Trent to walk to the lunchroom. A small group of people had already gathered for breakfast, and the girls helped Pam get cereal for her children. Then they took care of feeding themselves.

Daria got herself a bowl of crisped rice and topped it with sugar, while Jane got two mugs of hot coffee.

As Daria put the milk on her cereal, Martha Peters walked into the lunchroom. She saw Daria, moved towards her and balled her right hand into a fist.

Daria saw Martha's swollen nose and gasped. "Mrs. Peters," she asked, "what happened?"

Martha's response was to ram her fist into Daria's belly. The teen fell backwards, landed on the floor and grunted as she lost her breath. Her cereal bowl also fell to the floor and shattered; milk and cereal spread on the tiles around her.

Silence fell in the lunchroom and everyone froze in shock at the unexpected attack.

A look of vicious fury crossed Martha's face and she spat on the fallen girl. "You stay away from my son, you little slut!" she said and drew her right leg back to kick her.

Jane vaulted over the nearby table and kicked the older woman back with both legs. As Martha fell to the floor, the angry teen stood between her and Daria. "You're pretty tough against someone smaller than you," Jane said, her fists in front of her and a vicious smirk on her face. "Let's see how you do against someone closer to your own size."

Pam moved next to Jane and balled both of her hands into fists. "You attack these girls and you attack me, lady," she said. "Back off."

"You don't have to do this," Jane whispered to her.

"Yes, I do," Pam whispered back.

"You outsider bitches!" Martha yelled and got to her feet. "You're nothing but trouble!"

A hand grabbed Martha by her left shoulder and swung her around. She gasped as Melissa Smith backhanded her face; the contact sounded like a gunshot in the crowded room. As the older woman fell back onto the floor, Melissa said, "YOU are the trouble, you perverted slut!"

Rev. Harris and Kathy Wilson ran into the lunchroom and moved in the midst of the conflict. "All right!" the preacher spoke out loudly. "Knock it off! Now!"

Daria pulled herself to her knees; milk and cereal coated her shirt and pants. The combination of embarrassment, loss of breath and sudden nausea made her groan. She laid her forearms on her belly, bent over and vomited. A few people gagged at the scene and one said, "Ewwww!"

Martin walked into the lunchroom then. He saw his mother on the floor and Daria throwing up. "Daria!" he cried out, rushed up to her and bent down to help her.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Daria screamed at him and swung one of her arms at him. "You stay away from me!"

"Daria?" he asked, shock apparent on his face.

"Get the hell away from me, I said! I want nothing to do with you!"

Jane bent down beside Daria and grabbed her left arm. "Come on, _amiga_," she said gently as she helped her to her feet.

Martin stood there, his face pale. He held his right hand out towards her still and his eyes had a pleading look in them.

Daria slapped his hand viciously and glared at him. "Go away, little boy," she said. "Go be a preacher for your mommy!"

Jane looked at Martin, uncertain of what to do or say.

Daria spat on the floor and kicked a chair. "We're leaving this place, Jane," she said as they left the lunchroom together. "Screw these hypocrites!"

Kathy left the room and followed the two teens.

Martin closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He felt his face turn hot and he could feel the sweat form on his forehead.

Someone touched his shoulder and he turned to see his mother standing there. "Let's find your Dad," she said quietly.

He pulled back from her. Everyone stared at them as he said, "You have Dad."

This confused Martha and it showed on her face. "I know."

"Everybody needs someone. You're not the only one."

"I don't understand, Martin. What do you mean?"

He turned and slowly walked out of the lunchroom. "You never will understand," he said.

John passed his son in the hallway several seconds later. "What happened, son?" he asked. "I heard a commotion."

Martin looked at him. "It's done," he said.

The older man frowned and grabbed his son by the shoulders. "What happened?"

"I ran the race," Martin said as tears appeared in his eyes. "I fought the good fight...and I lost anyway." He looked down. "I lost."

"Son?"

Martin pulled free of his father's grasp and moved around him. He shook his head and said again, "I lost."

John moved back in front of his son and guided him into the sanctuary. He sat the boy in a pew and said, "Why don't you sit here until you calm down some."

"'What does not kill me only makes me stronger.'"

The father looked at him, shook his head and said, "Wait here until I get back. I'm going to find out what happened."

When John left him alone, Martin stood back up and walked out the church's front doors.

Outside, two women hung up sheets on a clothesline set up on the building's south side and Glen Bates talked with two men as they prepared to go on roving watch. They noticed Martin as he walked by them, but paid no more attention to him.

Martin crossed the parking lot and the road and entered the nearby woods. Within 10 seconds, he wasn't visible from the church grounds.

**oooooooooo**

Nearly five minutes later, John Peters came outside, his expression troubled. "Martin!" he yelled out. "Martin!"

Glen had dismissed the two men onto their watch and approached. "What's wrong, John?" he asked.

"Have you seen Martin?"

The older man nodded. "Sure did. He just went into the woods several minutes ago. Why?" When John didn't answer, he asked quietly, "Does it have to do with that business involving Jimmy and Melissa?"

John blushed and shook his head. "We never told him about that. But...Martha apparently attacked Daria in the lunchroom several minutes ago."

Glen took him by the left arm and led him to the church entrance. "You might as well go on in. Jack and the deacons are meeting in the nursery. You need to go get Martha and bring her. Jimmy and Melissa have brought a complaint against her. Now this 'attack' you talked about. Was it a physical fight?" John nodded and the older man sighed. "That is a problem."

**oooooooooo**

Daria shook in her fury as she was led into the pastor's office and sat on the examination table. "To hell with this place! I know when I'm not welcome!"

Kathy moved in front of her and put her hands on the teen's shoulders. "Young lady, calm down, right now!"

Daria broke free of Kathy's grasp and got to her feet.

"_Amiga_!" Jane said loudly. "Sit down!"

Daria stared at Jane, startled by the outburst.

Kathy gently sat the shorter girl back down. "You were attacked by one person, Daria," she said, "not by the church."

"That's right, Daria," Jane added. "Her motives had nothing to do with the others."

"Take off your shirt," the doctor said and Daria complied. "Now tell me what exactly happened in there."

Daria related the details of the incident as Kathy gently pressed on her belly and rib cage, then checked her head for injuries. "But what got me is that she called me a slut! I'm not a slut!"

Kathy nodded and stroked her chin in thought. "You know," she said, "I assumed that you and Martin were an 'item', the way you acted towards one another lately. Now I have a question for you, but you won't like it."

"Oh?"

"Are you two having sexual relations?"

Jane looked at the doctor in shock.

Daria blushed furiously and glared at Kathy. "That is none of your business!"

Jane resisted the impulse to giggle and prepared herself to restrain her friend if she had to.

Kathy returned Daria's glare and crossed her arms over her chest. "Perhaps it's not my business. But if you are having sex and are not using birth control, you could become pregnant, Daria. It is even possible to become pregnant when you are using birth control. Now, if you do become pregnant while you are here, it will become my business. Not only would I have to take care of you, but I'd be taking care of your unborn child, as well."

"Oh."

"What was that? I thought you said, 'Oh.'"

"I did," Daria said and sighed as the anger flowed out of her. "I never thought about it that way. O.K., if I miss a period or two, and I'm still here, you will know about it. I promise."

**oooooooooo**

Martin pulled himself to the top of a cliff and looked out around the countryside. _GET AWAY FROM ME!, _Daria's voice cried out in his mind. _You stay away from me!_

The countryside around the cliff seemed to spin and he closed his eyes. Go be a preacher for your mommy. His balance gave way and he fell. After he landed on his back on the bare rock, he looked up at the sky. _What does not kill me only makes me stronger._

A bird sailed overhead and he watched it as it flew toward the west. _You stay the hell away from me! I want nothing to do with you!_

A bug crawled on his left hand and he looked at it. _Why do you have hideouts, Martin?_

He stood back up and saw dark clouds form in the southeast. _If we grow together as a couple and things get rough between us, are you going to go to a...hideout?_

Lightning struck in the far distance and he stared at it. _Go away, little boy. _"I'm not a little boy." _Go away, little boy. _"I'm not a little boy!" _Go away, little boy. _"I'M NOT A LITTLE BOY!"

_Screw these hypocrites! _"I'm not a hypocrite, either."

A blast of wind hit his back and he looked towards the southeast again. The skies in that direction grew even darker. He saw several lightning strikes and heard a faint rumble of thunder in the distance. "That's interesting," he said.

_Go be a preacher for your mommy. _"Never!" He looked at the edge of the cliff and moved to it. _Go be a preacher for your mommy. _"No way."

_What does not kill me only makes me stronger. _"Really?" he asked and another blast of wind hit his back.

**oooooooooo**

When they left the doctor's office, Jane pulled Daria outside and asked, "Now, what happened with Martin? Why did you rip him a new asshole in front of everyone?"

Daria blinked at her. "Aren't you missing your breakfast date with Danny?"

"If I'm important enough to him, he'll wait for me." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well? What happened?"

"He's afraid to talk to his parents, mainly his mother, about us." Daria looked away. "After Martha attacked me, I wanted to fight her back. But...I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"She's Martin's mother. It would be like me beating up Mom."

"So you turned on Martin and gave him the full blast of your fury."

Daria nodded. "I dreamed about him last night, too."

Jane laughed briefly. "He must have been a real jerk in the dream."

"The first part was O.K., but in the second part, it was years from now and he was still...putting off talking about us to his mother."

"I have an idea, Daria. Why don't you go to him, talk to him and give him a shoulder to cry on."

Daria gave Jane a weak smile. "Maybe I did go overboard with him."

"Maybe. If it prompts him to stand up to his mother, then you did the right thing." She smiled at her friend and tapped her left shoulder. "Find him, Daria."

Daria heard something and asked, "Was that thunder?"

**oooooooooo**

The door to the church nursery opened and Cody said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, Pastor Jack, but The Forecast Channel just said we're under a severe thunderstorm warning."

"That's not a good reason to barge in here, Cody," Rev. Harris said and the others glared at him.

"It's coming out of Washington and towards us. They said that when the rain does fall, it will probably be hot."

"Oh, my God," Melissa whispered.

Rev. Harris stood up and said, "O.K., people this meeting will reconvene after the storm and the cleanup is over. Let's sound the alarm and get to work!"

**oooooooooo**

Daria listened as Rev. Harris told what was happening and looked around the gathered crowd. She moved to Jane and said, "I don't see Martin in here."

"Are you really surprised by that, Daria?" Jane looked at her.

"But if he isn't here when the storm gets here..." She blinked. "I'm going to hunt for him."

People rushed outside. Some drove off to nearby homes to spread tarps over recently planted gardens. Others spread tarps over some of the vehicles and nailed them to the ground. Some even placed plastic pieces or sheets over windows recently damaged in the outlaw raid.

Daria stood at the edge of the parking lot and looked around briefly before she walked out into the road. Somewhere to her north, she could hear John and Martha Peters frantically yelling for Martin.

Jane pulled her back. "Do you know where he is?"

"No, but I have to find him."

"If you don't know where he is and his own parents don't know where is, how are you going to find him? He took us in the woods the other day, but I know I couldn't retrace where we went. Can you?"

The smaller teen looked down and shook her head.

"The only thing we can do is wait for him inside the church."

"But what if..."

"He's smart, Daria. He'll know what to do to protect himself."

_I hope so_, Daria thought and looked out into the woods. _I hope so._

**oooooooooo**

The thunderstorm reached Carthage at a little after 11 a.m. Everyone was back inside the church, including the roving watches. John and Martha Peters were at the altar, praying. The woman also cried as she prayed.

Daria laid on her sleeping bag and faced the wall. _Smooth move, Morgendorffer_, she thought and wiped a tear from her right eye. _What if I've killed him, too?_

The power went off briefly after a particularly loud nearby lightning strike, and some people cried out in fright. Then it came back on and "Thank you, Lord," could be heard from several different people.

Jane sat behind Daria and looked at her friend with some concern. Rain could be heard outside, but it was infrequent. A flash of lightning brightly lit up the community room and she touched her friend's right arm gently.

Daria turned around, sat up and hugged Jane suddenly. She buried her face in Jane's shoulder.

Briefly startled, Jane put her arms around Daria and patted the back of her head. She could feel tears through her shirt and whispered, "There, there, _amiga_. He'll be O.K. He'll be O.K."

Outside, the storm raged on.


	28. Chapter 28

As the thunderstorm reached the Carthage area, Martin Peters reached a cave at the foot of the cliff he had been on. He hobbled quickly, tripped at the cave entrance and landed hard on the rock floor with a grunt of pain. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he muttered and rolled onto his back. "I can't believe that I took an idiotic chance like that." He sat up and pulled himself back against a wall. "Daria was right to...to..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. _I want her back_.

He stood up carefully, and used the wall to pull himself up as he did so. He hobbled over to a rock shelf and pulled a flashlight from his coat pocket. As the light came on, he thought, _Thank God I didn't smash the bulb when I fell. Thank God the cliff wasn't a straight vertical drop. And Thank God for the tree root up there or I'd be..._

The light revealed a metal box on a rock shelf next to a pile of sticks and twigs. "Bingo," he said and reached for the wood.

Within five minutes, Martin had a small fire burning within a stone circle and the box was beside him as he sat back down. The rain started then, intermittently. Mostly there was just thunder and lightning.

He opened the box and pulled out a thick plastic bag. Inside it was a Sony Discman player with a small speaker plugged into the earphone hole. He set it aside and pulled out a second plastic bag filled with compact discs. He found one, slipped into the player and soon the sound of Guns-n-Roses filled the cave. As _November Rain _played, he tested each of his toe's range of motion, then each of his feet and ankles.

When he turned his left ankle, he cried out as pain shot through it. _I don't think I broke it_, he thought as he took several quick breaths. _Must've twisted the hell out of it, though._

Next, he looked at his left thumbnail and how more than half of it was lifted off his thumb. The four fingers all had fresh blood seeping out around the nails. "Might as well get this over with," he said and pushed the thumbnail back in place. He cried out again and bit his lower lip. _Too bad Daria isn't here to help me. _He sighed and shook his head.

_Why did she do that to me? _"You know the answer," he told himself quietly and looked at the fire. "The same reason that Sarah Dalton stopped dating you in 11th grade. The same reason that no other girl in high school would date you. Mom. You never stood up to her and she forced all of them away."

More pain shot through his ankle and he screamed then. "IDIOT! YOU DAMN, STUPID IDIOT!" He fell onto his back and tears flowed from his eyes. "You damned fool."

_You don't need Daria_, Martha's voice played in his mind. _You don't need Sarah or any of those other sluts. You're going to be a preacher. None of those girls are good enough for you._

"Shut up!" he yelled out. "Just shut up! I'm not doing that!"

_You have no choice in the matter. It is your calling. If you need a wife, then I will find a suitable one for you._

"Hell will freeze over first," he said and glared at the cave ceiling. "Keep it up, Mom. One day, you'll wake up and I won't be there. When that day happens, you'll never see me again."

He closed his eyes, put his hands over his face and groaned. _Why do you hide, Martin? _Daria's voice asked him.

"I told you already."

_Tell me again._

"Will you give me another chance?" he asked.

_When you get some balls._

"I have balls!"

_Having them and using them are two different things, Martin._

"I know what I have to do. You have to help me, Daria."

Lightning struck nearby and the thunder drowned out everything else.

**oooooooooo**

The storm ended by noon and most of the church members gathered in front of the TV to watch The Forecast Channel as the on-air anchor gave details on what viewers should do in the post-storm cleanup.

"What good does vacuuming do?" one woman asked. "Where does the radiation go then?"

"Inside the vacuum cleaner," another answered.

"This stuff is from the fifties! I remember it in those old civil defense pamphlets!" one older man said.

"What I don't get," Odell said to no one in particular, "is that when radiation, this strontium and caesium they mention, when it absorbs into the ground, what then? Do you just leave it there? Kathy, what can you tell us?"

The doctor shook her head and said, "Contaminated soil would have to be dug up and disposed of. I do know that if the radiation is high enough, the vegetation will die, such as what happened in Russia in the 80s. We may even end up being in a red zone. I don't know. I'm afraid that we're all going to have to learn this as we go. This will be something our descendants will still be dealing with long after we're dead."

Rev. Harris said, "They mentioned sticky substances to adhere the radioactive particles on buildings. Does that mean we have to use packing tape to 'clean' the church?"

Kathy looked at him. "Yes, unless you have ample amounts of liquid glue and rubber cement to put on and peel off when it dries. The Army gave me a case of latex gloves and even a few boxes of nitrile gloves when they were here. We are going to use a lot of them. Anyone who has packing tape at home needs to bring it in. _When_ you can get to your home, that is."

Glen walked up to Jimmy and said, "I don't suppose that J.D. left you or your relatives any more lead-lined containers, did he?"

"I don't think so, Glen. I have an idea, though."

"Oh?"

The younger man said, "I suggest that if we have any lead paint that we paint some plastic containers to 'deposit' this stuff we can clean up until the government can tell us what to do with it."

Glen shook his head, seemed to pale somewhat and sat down suddenly.

Jane quickly moved to a seat near him and asked, "Are you O.K.?"

"I'll be fine," he said. "I just thought about something I saw once about the Chernobyl disaster. A nearby city deserted and row upon row of trucks and other machinery left behind when they became too hot to use anymore. The logistics of all this...boggles the mind." He patted the girl's right arm and smiled sadly at her. "It's just that at times like this, I'm glad that Jenny isn't here to see it."

**oooooooooo**

Martin watched as the storm and rain faded away and the sun came out from behind the clouds. "Looks like I'm stuck awhile," he said and sighed.

He looked at the plastic bags in the metal box and smiled. "Bingo," he said.

**oooooooooo**

As the time progressed and the parishioners moved further and further outside, little spray-painted circles spread out, indicating hot spots. The four men moved the Geiger counters in their own arcs to the road, then started on a new arc.

Near the church steps, John Peters approached Rev. Harris and the deacons. "I have to find Martin," he said to them. "I'll go alone if I have to, but I'm going to find my boy."

"John, " Glen said, "you can't go without a Geiger counter. Instead of risking yourself, why not wait until we're done scanning the church grounds?"

Daria walked up and said, "Jane and I have a Geiger counter he can use."

Everyone looked at the teen and she blushed, but kept her gaze on them.

"When were you going to tell us?" Rev. Harris asked.

"I was getting ready to, but then Mr. Peters talked about finding Martin. He's right. We need to find him."

Odell started to say something, but John quickly asked, "May I use it?"

"Yes," she said and moved around a couple painted circles to their SUV. She pulled the device from the back floorboard and handed it to Martin's father. "Here you go."

He sighed in relief and said, "Thank you."

From the side of the men, Martha glared at Daria, but said nothing. She then noticed Odell Jones looking at her warily and backed up towards several other ladies.

"I know where seven of Martin's hideouts are," he told the men. "Five of those hideouts offer some sort of shelter from the elements. I'm going to check them out."

"You can't go alone, John," Jimmy Smith said. "A couple of us need to go with you in case we need to carry him back."

"I'll go," Martha said loudly and walked forward.

John turned towards her and shook his head. "No, you won't. You can help in the clean-up efforts here at the church." 

"He's my son, too!"

He pointed at her. "You are also the reason that he took off. If you hadn't assaulted Daria in the first place, he would be here with us right now." The man looked at Daria. "I want you to help me. You can mark the hot spots as I find them."

The diminutive teen nodded and said, "I can do that."

"WHAT?" Martha yelled out. "NO WAY! THERE'S NO WAY SHE'S GOING--"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" John yelled back at her. "JUST SHUT IT! Rather than being worried about whether or not Daria and Martin are having pre-marital sex, or obsessing about that dream you had 10 years ago, you better hope and pray that he's still alive and unharmed."

"If you think I'm going to stand aside and--" 

"You're on thin ice with me right now, Martha. Don't screw up. You can't afford it."

"I'm not going to--" Suddenly several women grabbed Martha by her arms and forced her away from the men. Daria couldn't hear what they said to her, but whatever it was, it was blunt and to the point. She could see Melissa Smith there, her right hand formed into a fist and waiting for a possibility to use it.

John looked over the scene and sighed. "This is all my fault," he said.

"How is that, John?" Odell asked.

"I should have stopped her years ago."

None of the men said anything to that, but from what Daria could see, they all agreed with his statement.

Jimmy and Trent volunteered to help as well. Daria was given two cans of spray paint and the four set off. John was in the lead as he carefully scanned their path with the Geiger counter. Daria followed behind and painted each hot spot John found. Jimmy and Trent carried rifles and scanned the area around them. All four wore rain capes with hoods.

"I owe you an apology, Daria," John said.

"Why?" she asked.

"For what my wife did to you. I'm sorry. It should not have happened."

"You said that you know where seven of Martin's hideouts are?" Daria asked and changed the subject.

John nodded and looked back at her briefly. "Yes. I've tried in the past to find all of them, but he's a better woodsman than I am. Do you know where his hideouts are?"

"One," she replied.

"Where is it?"

Daria looked up at him and said nothing.

After a few seconds, he looked away and scanned their path again. "Sorry about that. Forget I asked."

"You don't seem bothered by Martin being...involved...with me. Why aren't you?"

John laughed briefly and smiled at her, then scanned the ground again. "I think you're a good influence on him," he said. "Since the day you three went on your hunting trip, he's been happy, very happy. Happier than he has been since that business with Sarah Dalton last year."

"Who's Sarah Dalton?"

"His ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him rather suddenly." His features clouded over and he sighed. "I'm not sure what happened, but I think Martha had her hand in that one, too." He pointed. "Got a hot spot here, Daria."

As she painted the circle, John continued, "Your actions at the spring house speak a lot for you and your character, Daria. Martin's a lucky guy and he could do a whole lot worse than you. I hope you'll give him another chance."

Daria blushed and took a deep breath. "If he'll still want me, I will," she said.

**oooooooooo**

The four moved slowly down the county road and it took them an hour to go barely a mile. Daria absently shook the paint can and wiped sweat off her forehead. _I hope we find him soon. I don't think I can take much more of this._

"You guys looking for me?"

The four looked up to see Martin standing there. His feet and lower legs were covered with plastic bags and he had a clear plastic bag over his head and chest. He used a walking stick, which also had plastic bags taped over it's length.

"Martin!" Daria said and started towards him.

"Wait!" John grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her. "Let me scan the ground first. Son, stay where you are. Let me scan you as well."

Daria waited anxiously as John scanned the ground. She looked at Martin and tears flowed from her eyes as their gazes locked. _I'm sorry, _she mouthed. _Will you forgive me?_

He smiled, then mouthed, _It's all my fault. Will you forgive me?_

"Yes! Yes, I will!"

John looked at her briefly in confusion, then said to Martin, "You're clean, but why are you using a walking stick?"

"I twisted my left ankle."

"Boy, you had us worried. You owe a lot of people an apology for running off like that."

Martin looked at him and slowly hobbled over to Daria. "I'm sorry you went to the trouble, Dad. But the only person I owe an apology to is Daria."

Daria positioned herself on his right side and moved her arm around him. She saw the makeshift bandage on his right thumb and the dried blood on his fingers then asked, "What happened to your hand?"

"I smashed it...it's a long story and I'll tell you later on. Daria?"

"Yes?"

"When we get back, I need to talk to my parents. Both of them. Will you help me?"

"What could I say?"

He looked at her and said, "You won't have to say much. I need you to be my backup."

She smiled at him. "I can do that."

Martin looked at Trent, Jimmy and his Dad. "I want everyone to know this much. I'm her man." Then he bent down and kissed Daria suddenly on the lips.

She blushed, but returned his kiss and then hugged him. She smiled and added, "I'm his woman."

Jimmy nodded, Trent smiled and said, "Cool" and John smiled.

"Son, I have no problem with it, but your mother will go ballistic."

Martin looked down briefly, looked back up at his father and said, "I'm sorry if this is crude, but that is just TFB. She'll get over it. She has no choice in the matter."

John looked pained and shook his head. "Don't say 'TFB' to her, please. If you did and I had to explain it, then she would then pass ballistic and go nuclear."

**oooooooooo**

The first thing that happened at the church was that Kathy examined Martin. She put an elastic bandage on his ankle and made him sit down to elevate it. Daria helped him with ice and water and basically hovered over him.

The next thing was that the doctor cut off his torn thumbnail and put a clean bandage on the now-exposed thumb.

Then came the meeting with his parents a few hours later.

Martha glared at Daria, who sat beside Martin calmly. He had his left arm around her confidently, but he blushed, sweated and stammered some as he spoke. "I want you to-to-to know that Daria is my g-g-girlfriend."

"I don't know why you are doing this to me," Martha said.

"I'm doing nothing to you!" Martin replied as he felt his anger rise. "I want to tell you some things."

"Calm down, Martin," Daria whispered. "Please."

Martha stood up and said, "I don't have to hear this!"

"SIT DOWN!" John yelled. "Sit your butt down and listen to your son for a change!"

Martha saw several men and women (Jane, Trent and Pam included) gathered behind her. All of them faced the woman with arms crossed over their chests and she sat back down, picked up the chair and slammed it into the floor.

"It is not my calling to be a preacher," he said. "I've told you this before and you refused to listen to me. You will hear me out on this."

"Well, what is your calling, Mr. Smart Mouth?"

He smiled at her and took a deep breath. "When I think you need to know, I'll tell you."

She jumped up and quickly slapped him. Then she turned to Daria and before she could do anything else, John grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her back into her seat.

Martin closed his eyes briefly and Daria gripped his left hand tightly as a tear rolled down his left cheek. He looked at her and smiled, then looked back at his mother. "I can accept what you just did to me, even if it chases me away from you even more. But you will not touch Daria again." 

"Are you threatening me, young man?"

"No. I don't have to. If you touch her again, I'll disown you. I will cut off all contact with you and when I finally leave here, you will never see me again. I don't know what you did to Sarah, but I've heard things. Nasty things about 'you.' You will not do 'those things' to Daria."

"Is there anything else?" Martha said through gritted teeth.

"I will not hide from you anymore." Then he smirked. "Unless I want some...privacy...which isn't your business. Like I told you yesterday." He looked at Daria. "Can you think of anything else, honey?"

"Not at all, dear," Daria replied.

He looked at his parents. "Thank you, Dad. Mom. I'm finished, except for one more thing. I'll find my own sleeping place in here...away from you."

Martha glared at them, got up and stormed off. John gave his son a thumbs up and followed his wife.

"I don't think I made much headway," Martin said.

"You stood up to her," Daria said and kissed him. "That's a good step in my book."

**oooooooooo**

That night, Martin took Daria to a room above the community room and locked the door. They sat down in the darkness and he activated another blue glow stick. "I want to see where Mom hit you," he said.

"Look at my belly and you'll see it."

He smiled. "I need to see your belly, Daria, not just your T-shirt."

"You just want to see my bra again." She returned his smile. "Or get it off, too."

"My intentions are honorable," he said with a pious tone in his voice. "I'm a class act."

She laughed, which made him smile even more. "You are so full of bull, Martin Peters."

He took the glow stick and moved it under his left leg, shrouding them in darkness. He said, "I need to touch your belly. Please."

Daria sighed, removed her T-shirt and said, "O.K. What now?"

He gently laid her onto her back and his hand touched her right thigh.

"Watch it!" she warned him.

"Sorry." His hand then touched her belly, then she felt him move his head onto her belly. He kissed her just above her navel.

_Oh, my, _she thought.

For the next several minutes, Martin kissed her belly over and over. He lifted his face one time and asked, "Does that feel any better?"

Daria put her hand on the back of his head and pushed his face back into her belly. "I didn't tell you to stop."

Martin's response was to resume the kisses. He moved his right arm around her as he did so.

Daria smiled in the darkness and caressed the back of his head. _I can live with this._


	29. Chapter 29

Daria opened her eyes and laid still on the floor. _Let's see now,_ she thought. _I'm in a darkened room with a weird blue neon light, my shirt is off_... She felt her chest. ..._my bra is still on_. She looked to her right side and saw Martin on his back; he stared at the ceiling and occasionally blinked. _Martin was kissing my belly._

She smiled and turned towards him. "Hey," she said. "Looks like you're thinking awfully hard."

Martin turned his head towards her and smiled. The glow stick made his teeth look blue. "I am," he said. "I do my heaviest thinking when I lay down."

"Same here, except earlier...you kissed me into a slumber." She picked up his left wrist and looked at his glow-in-the-dark watch. "Oh, no," she said. "It's two o'clock."

"So?"

Daria sat up and grabbed her T-shirt. "I need to get back to my space," she said. "It's getting late."

Martin sat up, moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "There is no hurry, Daria," he said calmly. "We can stay here all night."

She looked down. Not only did his arms hold hers in place, they pressed against her breasts as well. "Martin," she said, "I didn't think we were going to flaunt our relationship quite like this."

"We're a couple," he replied, "and everyone knows it. What's left to flaunt?"

"A sexual relationship. Whether or not we 'do it', if we spend the night together, people will think and believe that we're having sex." She laid her head against his chest. "Or is that what you're wanting to do now?"

Martin was silent for several seconds and said, "I'd like to. I really would. But there are some things to consider." He kissed the top of her head and ran the fingers of his left hand lightly over her midriff. "I do understand that no means no. If I ever do anything that makes you uncomfortable, tell me. Please, tell me. The last thing I want is for you to be scared of my actions, my opinion or me."

"I don't want you scared of me or my actions or my opinion either," she said as she watched his hand lightly move on her. "What things would we have to consider?"

"I don't think we should risk a pregnancy," he said. "With the bombings, that could be dangerous. There are...unknown complications."

Daria turned and he let her go. She hugged him and said, "That's what I've been thinking, but I wasn't sure how you'd take it if I told you. What else?"

"As much as I want to 'do it', I don't want to do it in this building. Not in a church. I think we're pushing the envelope as it is."

She nodded. "That makes sense to me, too. Anything else?"

He sighed. "In one respect, what we're doing now is wrong, but I have a deep attraction and respect for you, so at the same time, I don't think it's wrong. I don't see a problem with us sleeping together, if all we do is sleep anyway. Sorry if that's confusing. Daria?"

"Yes?"

"I want to say three words to you, but I'm afraid to."

She tensed, laid her face against his chest and closed her eyes. She could actually feel his nervousness as they held each other. "Why are you afraid to?"

"I'm afraid I'll scare you away. I don't want to lose you."

She looked up and saw his eyes glisten in the darkness. "Just say it."

"I love you."

_I don't love him! _The words she had once told Jane haunted her memory. _I'm thankful for what he did, but I don't know him well enough to love him. _She held him tightly and then thought, _I feel weird thinking about him when he's away and I want to be around him all the time. If that isn't being in love, what is?_

She gave him a light smile, moved up and kissed him. Then she laid her head back onto his chest. "I love you," she said quietly. "You haven't lost me."

He wrapped his arms around her and they sat like that for the next several minutes.

Finally, Daria said, "I need to get to my sleeping space with Jane, Martin. As much as I want to sleep here with you, we shouldn't. Not yet."

He broke the hug and pulled back. "Don't put your shirt on yet. I want to indulge myself first."

She gave him a slightly confused look. "What? You want to stare at my bra? Feel me up? What do you want to do?" 

"I want to take my shirt off and hug you before you put your shirt on." He looked away. "I know it may sound weird, but that's what I want to do."

She nodded and said, "O.K. I don't think it's weird. Go ahead and take off your shirt."

Being careful with his bandaged fingers, he pulled the shirt off, laid it aside and then looked at Daria. "Oh!" he said, blinked and smiled.

Daria laid her T-shirt and bra aside and moved up to him, where they embraced in a tight hug. Then she kissed him hard for nearly a minute. When she broke the kiss, she asked, "How's this for a 'hug', Martin Peters?"

"I like it," he replied as he ran one of his hands over her bare back. "I like it a lot."

"I thought you would." She moved her lips to his left ear, lightly bit his earlobe and whispered, "I love you."

**oooooooooo**

The next day, Martha Peters faced Rev. Harris and the deacons as details of Melissa's and Jimmy's complaints and the assault on Daria were heard. She said nothing in her defense and John apologized for what happened.

"I believe in giving people three strikes, Martha," Rev. Harris finally said, "just like in baseball. You now have two strikes against you and you accumulated them both in an eight-hour period of time. One more strike against you and you'll be out of here. I don't like kicking people out of the church. But I will do it to preserve this congregation. Your paranoid fear of a teenaged girl has caused this.

"We're are all witnesses to Daria, Jane and Jane's family. Witnesses in the way we act and by what we say. Your attack on Daria made our efforts to witness to them a lot harder. Maybe even impossible. Has it never dawned on you that the will of God is for you to help guide people to Christ, rather than force His will to do what _you _want?"

Martha said nothing.

Rev. Harris sighed. "You're on probation for 90 days, Martha. Keep your nose clean."

**oooooooooo**

A couple of days later, Martin Peters sat on an outside step as people continued to clean the church grounds. His walking stick lay nearby. Several plastic trashcans, hastily painted with lead-based paint, sat nearby filled mostly with topsoil, but also with some paper towels and used gloves from Kathy's stock.

John Peters came out and sat beside him. "Your Mom and I are going to the house for a bit," he said. "We'll bring back some packing tape to help in the cleaning here, but we're going to scan our place and do what we have to there first." He coughed and added, "Don't come down."

Martin blushed and said, "Dad! TMI! TMI! I didn't need to hear that!"

The father laughed and patted his son's shoulder lightly. "See you in a bit, boy."

"Later, Dad." The son felt like hiding his head, but sighed and looked around.

**oooooooooo**

Trent showed up and sat next to Martin several minutes later. "Hey, man," he said.

"Hey."

"I wonder if you can do me a favor. And Pam, too."

Martin smiled. "Let me guess. Stand guard for you two again."

"Hey, if you would, I'd appreciate it. I'd do the same for you and Daria."

"What about the hot spots? They still haven't got them all cleaned up."

Trent smiled. "Pam borrowed Daria's Geiger counter awhile ago and scanned us a path to...our spot. It's all clean where we went last time."

"My shotgun's inside at my space. I'll have to get it first."

Trent handed Martin his Smith and Wesson. "No need for that. Use mine. It's loud enough to warn us and frighten off...intruders at the same time."

Pam showed up then, grabbed Trent's left arm and gave him a smile. "You ready, honey?" she asked.

He smiled at her and said, "Sure thing." They kissed quickly, walked ahead and were followed at a discreet distance by Martin, who kept up the pace despite his limping. He noticed a series of circles that led into the cemetery to a large tombstone, then tapered off. As Martin reached the tombstone, Pam stopped him.

"Thank you for doing this," she said. "Someday, Trent and I will make this up to you. I promise."

Martin smiled. "Think nothing about it. I'm glad to help."

**oooooooooo**

Sometime later, inside the church, Melissa Smith was inside one of the classrooms, and scrubbed a spot where one child had gotten sick. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Martha Peters there, a small automatic pistol in her right hand. "Martha! No!" She jumped up at the other woman.

Martha pulled the trigger and the bullet hit Melissa's head and she fell to the floor hard. A small pool of blood formed where the woman's head landed. Martha kicked the fallen woman twice and grunted. "That's for hitting me earlier, bitch!" she said and left the room.

The sound of the pistol was lost in the sound of a nearby vacuum cleaner, but Glen Bates had heard it from the next room and came out face to face with the woman. He looked at the pistol in her hand and noted the thin wisp of smoke that left the barrel. "Martha," he said, his voice even and his hands still. "I'd like to know what you think you're doing."

"I'm taking care of personal business, Glen. I'm settling my accounts. Step aside."

"Who did you shoot?"

Several people saw the scene and they ran off, yelling as they did so.

Inside another classroom, Daria looked over the history textbook as she got ready for another tutoring session with the pre-teens. She had heard the gunshot, but dismissed it as part of another CNN news film. She then heard the yelling and running and frowned in response. _O.K., what's going on?_

Then there was another gunshot and this time, she heard someone yell, "She shot Glen! Get Pastor Jack!"

_Oh, hell_, she thought and got to her feet. She put her hand on her pistol as she stood.

Martha Peters came in the room then and aimed her pistol at Daria's face. "Don't even think about it, you little bitch! Pull it out slowly. Real slowly."

Daria stared at Martha as she carefully pulled the pistol out of its holster and held the stock with two fingers.

"Lay it down on the floor gently, then kick it over to me."

Daria obeyed and shook as she waited for what Martha was going to do next.

Martha picked up the Colt and held it firmly in her right hand. "Not bad. I'll use this on your slutty ass. That way, I'll know that you'll die." She smiled and aimed the weapon at Daria's face. "First, let's take care of other things. On your knees, girl. Now."

Daria stood still and stared at the pistol barrel.

"On your knees, slut!"

Daria quickly got onto her knees and shook as she did so.

Martha moved slightly closer and said, "Beg."

The teen blinked and said, "I'm sorry?"

"Beg for your life, bitch!"

Daria glared up at Martha and said, "No."

"You're brave, girl. I'll give you that." Then the woman quickly backhanded Daria's face with her left hand.

The impact knocked Daria's glasses off; the spectacles landed on the desk, undamaged. Tears flowed out of her eyes, but she still glared at Martha.

"I talked to you about Martin, and I told you to stay away from him. You ignored me. You pulled him away from me and his calling."

"You were already losing him, Mrs. Peters," Daria said quickly and sniffled. "He doesn't want to be a preacher."

"SHUT UP! He would have come around sooner or later. But now he won't and it's your fault. All your fault." Martha smiled at her. "You're such a pretty girl. It's a shame I have to mess up your face this way, but like I said, it's your fault. Martin likes that _Logan's Run _movie, despite how dirty it is, so you'll like the irony of this." She cocked the pistol. "You are terminated."

Daria sighed and said, "The actual quote is 'Runner-you are terminated'. 'You are terminated' didn't show up until _Terminator 2: Judgment Day_. I hate it when people mis-quote movies."

Martha blinked and snorted at the defiant girl. "I was going to shoot you in the head and make it quick." She lowered the pistol barrel. "Since you're such a smart ass, I'll just shoot you in the gut. Just so I can hear you screaming when I leave to take care of that turncoat son of mine."

Daria tightly closed her eyes and jumped at the roar of the pistol. For several seconds, she stood there on her knees, her eyes closed and was confused. _Strange. Didn't hurt at all._

She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of Martha. The woman stood there, the Magnum aimed down at the floor. Martha looked at the hole in her right shoulder and dropped the pistol. Then she looked at Daria, her expression confused, and fell to her knees. Then she fell onto her left side.

Odell Jones stood behind where Martha fell, a smoking Browning 9-mm. automatic in his hands. "You O.K.?" he asked Daria as he grabbed the Magnum.

"That's mine!" Daria said and he gave it to her. She stood up, re-holstered it and said, "I'm O.K., I'm O.K. But what about Glen?" She grabbed her glasses and put them on.

The deacon shook his head. "She got him point blank right in the chest. Kathy's with him right now. She also shot Melissa Smith, but the bullet just grazed her head."

"I need to get Martin!" She rushed out of the room. She saw Kathy bent over Glen as she tried to save him and then saw Jane on her knees holding the elderly man's left hand. The teen cried as she did so, then glanced briefly at Daria. She mouthed,_ He's dying!_

Daria ran to the front door and rushed outside.

Jane looked down at her older friend and said loudly, "Glen! I'm right here, Glen! Don't go! Please, don't go!"

The man suddenly took a deep breath, coughed out a slight bit of blood and gave Jane a weak smile. "It's O.K., Jane," he said, his voice very small. "It's O.K. I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to go be with my Jenny again."

"I don't want you to die!"

He laughed and grimaced at the pain. "It's time, it's time. I've lived my life." He gripped her hand tightly. "But if I were 60 years younger, girl, I'd chase you."

Despite her tears, she smiled at that comment.

"Kathy," he said and the doctor stopped what she was doing, "make sure Jane gets my stuff--even my wallet. I want her to have it all."

"Don't talk like that," the doctor said. "You're not going anywhere." Her expression didn't match her words, however, and Jane could see that.

He looked back at Jane and smiled. "When you see Jenny's picture, don't be shocked." He took another deep breath and tensed, then relaxed. "Jane, Jesus loves you. He loves you, Daria and all your family. He wants to always be a part of your life. Never forget that."

"I won't," the teen said. "I promise."

"You're a good kid, Jane. I...I..." He closed his eyes and his body relaxed.

"Glen! Glen!" Jane gripped his hand even tighter and she sobbed. "Glen!" She looked at Kathy.

Kathy shook her head and looked down.

**oooooooooo**

Daria found Martin as he walked out of the cemetery with Trent and Pam. They saw her expression and Martin said, "Daria! What's wrong?"

"Your mom! She just shot two people and tried to shoot me!"

"What? Who did she shoot?"

"Melissa Smith and Glen. He's pretty bad."

The four rushed back towards the church.

**oooooooooo**

Inside the church, Glen's body was carried off while Kathy and Jeannie worked on Melissa Smith.

Martha Peters opened her eyes and grabbed her shoulder with her left hand. She saw the confusion around Melissa and pulled herself to a sitting position. Nobody noticed her and she carefully got to her feet. She felt light headed and her whole right arm and shoulder felt numb, but she slowly moved towards an emergency exit. Nobody saw her as she exited the building.

Outside, she fell back against the building and looked around. In the distance, she saw Daria, Martin and two of their friends running towards the church. She turned away and staggered towards the grounds behind the church. She reached the woods a minute later.

**oooooooooo**

Inside all Daria and Martin found in the classroom was a blood spot where Martha had fallen. He stopped Odell Jones and asked, "Where's my Mom's body?"

"Nobody got her yet," the deacon said and looked where it was. "Oh, my Lord, she's gotten up and left! Look at the blood trail she left!" He pointed towards the emergency exit.

Martin rushed outside and looked around. Daria was by his side. "I don't get it," he told his girlfriend. "She and Dad were at the house for their...alone time." He paled and whispered, "Dad." He turned towards where their home was and saw smoke raising in the air.

Daria gasped and grabbed his arm. "Martin! Is that...?"

"DAD!" he yelled and ran as fast as his limp would let him.

Daria turned towards the door, where Trent waited. "Get help! Martin's house is on fire! His dad's there and probably hurt!" The she took off after Martin.

**oooooooooo**

By the time Martin and Daria reached the Peters homestead, a crowd of about 20 had come along as well. Everyone stopped at the end of the driveway as flames engulfed the home. "NOOOOO!" Martin screamed. "DAD!" He limped to the house quickly, kicked in the front door with his good foot and nearly fell. Then he ran inside.

"MARTIN! NO!" Daria yelled out. "DON'T!" Then she ran after him.

Ten feet later, Jane caught up with Daria, wrapped her arms around her smaller friend and pulled her back into the yard. As they struggled, they fell on the grass and Jane said, "Oh, no, you don't, _amiga_. You can't do it. You're not going to do it."

"Let me go! Dammit, Jane, let go!"

"No!"

Daria rammed her right elbow into Jane's belly and broke free of her hold. She jumped to her feet and turned back towards the house. As she ran further, suddenly Trent caught up with her, wrapped his arms around her in a tight hold and he picked her up off the ground. "Daria!" he said. "Stop it!"

She struggled and kicked him as he carried her back towards the others. Jane ran up and wrapped her friend's legs in a tight hug to stop her kicks. "LET ME GO, TRENT! DAMN YOU, LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" She looked back at the house as she was held still and she started crying. "Martin," she said and sobbed. "Martin."

Suddenly, Martin appeared in the doorway, and pulled his father's body outside with him. Several men rushed up to help and pulled both father and son away from the burning house. John was laid on the grass and Martin fell to his knees beside him. A gunshot wound on John's belly glistened in the firelight.

Martin's jacket smoldered as he yelled, "Dad! Dad! Say something! Please, say something!"

Daria was released and sprinted for Martin. She saw flames erupt from his shoulders as she ran. As he cried out to his father, she beat at the flames on his shoulders and back until they went out.

The roof collapsed in a roar as the flames lit up the yard.

Kathy reached the crowd then and ran up to Martin and John. "Watch out!" she said as she forced her way up to the man on the ground. "Let me through! Let me through!"

"Dad?" Martin said as Kathy worked on John. Tears filled his eyes and he shook his head. "Dad, please don't die! Dad!" He covered his eyes and felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He looked back at Daria's face and saw that she was crying as well. He lowered his head, closed his eyes and prayed as she held him from behind.

Daria closed her eyes as well and laid her face against his still smoking jacket.

After a few seconds, John blinked his eyes and coughed several times real hard. "Mar...Martin!" he yelled out.

Martin opened his eyes, moved closer and said, "I'm right here, Dad."

The man moved his left hand out. "I can't see you, son," he said and coughed again. Martin grabbed his hand and the father gripped it tightly. "Don't...don't hate your mother. She's sick. She...needs help. Did...did she hurt Daria?"

Daria moved on Martin's right side and said, "I'm right here. She didn't hurt me."

"Good. Where is...where is she?"

Daria and Martin looked at each other and Martin said, "She's gone, Dad. She escaped."

John exhaled deeply and said, "I was afraid of that. Did she hurt anyone else?"

Martin swallowed and said, "She killed Glen and shot Melissa Smith. She tried to kill Daria." He paused, then added, "She's been shot, too."

"Oh, crap." Then he lost consciousness.

**oooooooooo**

John Peters died six hours later. He never regained consciousness. As preparations for his and Glen's funerals were made, Martin sat by his father's body and stared into space. Daria stayed at his side the whole time and held his hand. For a long time, they said nothing.

"I do know what you're going through," she finally whispered as she laid her head on his right shoulder. "If you want to cry on my shoulder in front of everyone, you can. Just let it out, Martin. Don't hold it in."

"I never realized just how much it would hurt," he said aloud. "I feel like a part of my heart has been ripped out of me. This is all my fault."

"How?" she asked. "How could it be your fault? If you gave in to your mother and became a preacher, how long would it be before _you _lost it? I don't know _who_ to blame, but I know it isn't you." _That was a lie. It was Martha's fault. But I won't tell you that. Not now._

"But I could have stopped her somehow."

"She shot the man she married, Martin. If she could do that, then she would have shot you as well."

"She's right, Martin." Rev. Harris sat down on the teen boy's other side. "None of what happened is your fault. This happened because your mother was selfish and refused to accept reality." The boy tensed and Daria expression reflected her sudden alarm. The preacher continued to speak calmly, however. "You know I'm right, Martin. I knew that you didn't have a calling to be a preacher. I told Martha that once and she questioned my own salvation and faith.

"The worst thing you could do in this case is to become a preacher out of guilt. Eventually, the guilt would fade and resentment would set in. That resentment would manifest itself in one bad way or another. Perhaps you'd steal from your church and your God. Or you could end up beating Daria. Or you could have an affair with another woman."

The preacher laid a hand on Martin's left arm and said, "If you need to talk to me in private, just come to me. I'll be available for you."

Martin nodded and gripped Daria's hand tightly.

During the funeral, Martin stood still and kept his face rigid. Only the tears on his cheeks betrayed his emotions. Daria stayed by his side and cried freely, as did Jane and a lot of others in the church.

**oooooooooo**

That night, Daria said nothing as she carried her sleeping bag and pillow to Martin's space and set things up.

Odell Jones saw what she was doing and stopped her. "You do realize how this appears, don't you?" he asked.

"Mr. Jones, you have my word that I am doing this because Martin needs me tonight." She wiped tears from her eyes. "We are not having sex, nor will we ever do _that_ in this church."

"I didn't say you were, Daria."

"He's going to crack eventually." She closed her eyes, wiped the tears away again and took a deep breath. "I want to be there when it happens. I have to be there when it happens. I want to hold him in my arms when it happens." Her vision blurred. "I love him, even when it hurts. He helped me when I...I...I'm going to be there for him, too."

The man nodded and gently patted her shoulder. "I will pray for you two. You have a long night ahead of you, I'm afraid. I did after my Dad died."

"Thank you for understanding."

Daria shut the door and locked it and moved in the darkness to Martin. They embraced and held each other silently for an unknown amount of time.

When he started crying, it came in a torrent. Daria sat up and held him in her arms as he cried. She rocked him gently and kept her eyes closed. After a few minutes, she cried as well.


	30. Chapter 30

The next morning, Daria came out of the ladies bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel and her toiletries in a plastic Payday bag in her right hand. She saw Martin at her sleeping space as he picked up the .30-06 rifle and slung it over his shoulder.

He saw her and smiled. "Honey, where's your ammo? I'll probably need ten shells at the most."

She stared at him for several seconds, blinked and asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

He stared back briefly, then looked away. "I'm going out after her, Daria. I have to."

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "There are a dozen men out there right now trying to find her, Martin. You are the last person who should do that."

"She may hurt or kill someone else. I'm a very good tracker and I'm a lot better in the woods than she is. That's no idle boast, either. It's the truth. Ah! Found the bullets." He put one box in his jacket pocket.

"You can kill your own mother?"

He sighed and looked at the floor. "If I have to, it would be better to put her out of her misery." He turned and walked towards the door.

_Oh, shit, this is going to be touchy. _Daria cleared her throat slightly and he stopped. She said quietly, "I love you, Martin Peters, I really do. But I _never_ want to wake up beside you in the middle of the night hearing you scream, 'Mother, I implore thee! Let not loose on me those maidens with their bloodshot eyes and snaky hair.'"

Martin tilted his head slightly and stood still for nearly a minute before he turned back towards Daria. "_Orestes_," he said.

Daria nodded and replied, "_Orestes_, indeed."

He smiled and then said, "'Ha! see, see where they approach to leap upon me!' I had to do a report on that play in my freshman Literature class." He shook his head. "Euripides is O.K., I guess, but I would rather read Aristophanes, just for the laughs. Hey, have you heard the joke about the new self-service Greek tailor? The shop is called 'Euripides, Eumenides'."

Daria looked at him briefly, lifted her glasses and covered her eyes with one hand. Then she groaned and said, "That was a very bad joke, Martin. It wasn't even funny."

Martin laughed, "Your reaction is better than the joke, Daria. It was worth it just to get you to do that."

She opened her fingers slightly and looked at him. "You do know that Aeschylus wrote _The Eumenides_, don't you?" she asked.

"Of course."

She pulled her glasses back over her eyes, moved up to him and kissed him. Then she gently took the rifle out of his hands and led him back toward her sleeping space. She retrieved the bullets out of his pocket and put up the weaponry.

"I don't know what I was thinking," he said after she did that. "I was actually going to go out there and shoot her." They walked to the sanctuary and sat on a pew near the back. "I can't believe I was going to do that."

"Do you think they'll shoot her if they find her?" she asked.

Martin looked ahead and thought for a few seconds. "I don't think so," he said. "Unless she tries to kill any of them." He looked at her sadly. "She betrayed us, Daria. She betrayed me, she betrayed Dad and she betrayed the church."

"Martin...in the end, she wasn't your mother anymore. You do realize that, don't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's just strange to think of it, though."

Daria gave him another kiss and took his right hand in her left. "Jane, Trent, Pam and I are going to go to your home and see what we can salvage for you. You stay here, because you've been running around on your sprained ankle and doing God knows what kind of damage to it."

He frowned and asked, "Well, what do I do while all of you are gone?"

She moved her face close to his and gave him an evil smile. "You pray for yourself, just in case we find something...incriminating." She laughed briefly. "Your garage wasn't damaged. Do you have any chocolate stashes out there?"

Martin nodded and said, "Yeah. In the F-150, there's a hidden compartment inside the back of the front passenger seat. Inside that is a shoebox inside two zipper storage bags."

Daria looked at him, her eyes widely opened. "Not only do you have hideouts, you hide stuff as well?"

He smiled, shrugged and laughed. "My entire family, except for one aunt and a few cousins, are extreme chocoholics. I had to hide the chocolate, or it would have all disappeared. I had two large bags of M&Ms once on my dresser drawer. Three younger cousins came over and within an hour, both bags were totally consumed."

"Were they bouncing off the walls?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes. "That was their normal state of being. After all that chocolate and sugar, they were in hummingbird mode for the next several hours."

She looked at him and thought, _I wonder what else you hide, boy._

**oooooooooo**

Martha Peters fell against an ash tree and took several deep breaths. Even though she had hit the tree with her injured shoulder, it didn't hurt. She was only vaguely aware that it was daylight once again.

Ever since she had been shot, she had kept on the move. _I'll wait until things calm down, _she thought, _then I'll go back and get Martin. If I'm lucky, I'll get Daria as well. Kill two birds with one bullet. _For some reason, the thought amused her and she laughed, but it sounded ragged in the morning air.

She looked at the gunshot wound on her shoulder. It had stopped bleeding not long after she got into the woods, but she still couldn't feel anything. She could feel nothing except a slightly hot feeling on the right side of her chest. _Blast that Odell Jones! Maybe I can get him as well._

Somewhere in the distance, she heard the sound of panting and looked around confused. _Something's out here. Several somethings._

Nearly a minute later, she saw a Rottweiler staring at her from 20 feet away. "Uh, oh," she said. Then another 20 dogs came out from behind trees and bushes near the Rottweiler; all of them looked at her. None of their tails wagged and most of them showed her their teeth.

The Rottweiler rushed towards her and she lifted the small automatic in her left hand and fired quickly. The shot hit the dog in the head and it dropped instantly. One of the few things she had allowed her son to teach her was how to shoot good from either hand. She was thankful that training now paid off.

Other dogs advanced on her and she fired again and again. Each shot hit a dog, either in the head or in the upper body. After her seventh shot, however, the hammer clicked on...nothing. "Oh, no," she said and closed her eyes as a German shepherd lunged at her.

She felt the teeth on her neck and in an instant of crystal clarity, she thought, _Maybe Daria wouldn't have been such a bad daughter-in-law after all._

**oooooooooo**

Daria, Jane, Pam and Trent left for the Peters homestead after Daria had combed out and dried her hair. Each of them carried plastic bags and Trent even carried an old and empty U.S. Army duffel bag.

"I'd be surprised if we even found that much, Daria," he said. "That house was pretty much gone by the time we left it yesterday."

"Martin has some stuff in the garage," she replied. "Besides, some of the stuff in his room _may_ have survived."

"I doubt it," Jane said.

They arrived at the still-smoldering ruins after several minutes and Daria exhaled loudly. All that remained of the house itself was part of the blackened frame and the front porch. She shook her head and thought, _All those books-gone. _Then she thought of all her books, still in her now-radioactive bedroom in Lawndale.

"You O.K., Daria?" Jane asked.

"S'nothing," she said. "Just having sad thoughts of things lost forever."

"It doesn't pay to dwell on that, _amiga_."

Daria turned to them. "Martin had more than 200 books in his bedroom. Not just silly books, either, but real classics and...and..." She shook her head again. "All of that...lost. Some of it is probably irreplaceable, too. That Orwell book I borrowed, _Down and Out in Paris and London_. I've never seen that one in a bookstore before. At least he still has that book."

"Yes," Pam said. "But he has you now and you're much more important than a book."

Daria smiled and said, "Thank you, but a book is more than just words. It's ideas, thoughts and experiences. It's food for the soul. I'm not sure I can describe the empty feeling it leaves when you lose...so many at one time."

The older woman nodded and said, "I understand. When I was 12, we lost everything in a flash flood. It took me several years to relax enough to enjoy what I did have."

The garage was set more than 30 feet from the house itself and suffered little damage except warped siding on the wall that faced the house.

Inside the garage, Jane and Daria went through cabinets as Trent and Pam looked through tools on a workbench.

Daria opened one cabinet door and found a stack of spiral notebooks. She pulled one out, opened it and read. In every open space on the notebook's interior, including the covers, were the words "I will not fight ever again." Written over and over, in a cursive style and penmanship common to a middle school student.

Jane read what Daria did and pulled out the other notebooks. Every one of them had the same thing inside them. "This is freaky, Daria," Jane said. "Why would he write that?"

The diminutive teen sighed and thought, _All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. _She cleared her throat and said, "Given the nutso way that Martha acted, my guess is that this is punishment of some sort. Must have gotten into a fight at school."

Jane counted the notebooks. "There are 10 of these things saying 'I will not fight ever again.'" She shook her head. "Hell of a punishment." She moved to another cabinet.

"If he starts saying 'redrum', I'm out of here," Daria muttered and moved towards the truck.

"What was that, Daria?"

"Nothing." She reached the F-150 and climbed inside and onto the backseat. She felt around on the back of the front passenger seat and found a hidden tag for the hidden compartment. The box were where he said it was, still sealed in two zipper storage bags.

She opened the bags and removed the shoebox. then opened it. Her eyes opened widely and she stared at the contents in silence.

Jane came up beside her, looked inside the box as well and whistled. "Hey, guys, Daria's looking at pictures of a naked woman."

"Jane!"

The tall teen laughed and smiled at her friend. "So who is _that_?"

"I have no idea," Daria said and dug down inside the box. She found several candy bars and a few large bags of M&Ms. She looked at Jane and Pam and said, "I'm going to find out who she is, though. You can count of that."

Trent walked up, saw the pictures and said, "Whoa. Who's that?"

Pam smacked his arm and said, a smile on her face, "Stop staring at her, boy."

"What did I do?" he asked and moved back.

Daria looked at the pictured blonde, suppressed a laugh and thought, _You'd better be praying, Martin. _She found a centerfold at looked at the curriculum vitae. "It says here that her name is Echo Johnson."

"Echo?" Jane asked. "Who would name their kid 'Echo'?"

Daria glanced at her and said, "It's better than naming a child 'Butt-head'."

**oooooooooo**

The four made it back to the church more than 90 minutes later. Daria carried the shoebox and went to Martin's space and shut the door. Then she sat down near where he had laid down.

"Is that you, Daria?" he asked and opened his eyes.

Daria bent over, kissed him quickly, then sat back beside him. She looked inside the box and said, "Martin, I have a question for you, _dear_."

"Yeah?"

"Who's Echo Johnson?"

The teen boy froze and stared up at the ceiling, his eyes widely opened. "Uh, Daria?"

"I was just curious, since in all these pictures you have of her, she's naked." She looked at him. "How you got them in the first place, I have no idea. I mean, you just couldn't go to the store and buy a _Playboy, _now,could you?"

"Uh, Daria?"

"She's really, really pretty, Martin. Definitely makes me look like Kathy's dog."

"No!" He sat up quickly and moved up next to her. "You are a beautiful woman, Daria! Don't put yourself down like that!"

"Are you sure about that? I know I'm no classic beauty like Miss January here."

"In my eyes, you _are_ a classic beauty," he said and slipped his arm around her.

"You _are_ a total suck-up, Martin. Where did you get these?"

"I...found the _Playboy_ at the side of the road one day a couple of years ago, while hunting. I liked her pictures and saved them when I threw the rest of the magazine away." He kissed her left cheek and when she turned her face towards him, he kissed her on the lips. "You can throw them away. I don't _need _them."

Daria gave him a sly smile and touched noses with him. "Later," she said. "Now I have something to rub in your face every so often and I want to enjoy the feeling when I do."

He moved his head back, covered his eyes and groaned. "I knew I should have thrown them away years ago."

"You would deny me the fun of teasing you?"

His shoulders sagged and he sighed. "I give up. I'm guilty and throw myself on the mercy of the judge."

She smiled at him, closed the shoebox and kissed him. "Court is in recess, so that the accused can plead his case to his judge in her chambers." She kissed him again.

"This is my space."

"You're going to have to _plead_ even more now, boy."

**oooooooooo**

After Martin and Daria left the room, they saw Jane, who approached them with an uncertain look on her face. "What's wrong, Lane?" she asked.

Jane looked at Martin briefly and looked away. "The search party's back," she said. "I'm...I'm sorry, Martin."

Daria looked at him and saw his face go pale. He leaned against a wall and said, "I...I might as well see this. You can stay in here if you want."

"No," Daria said. "I'm with you." They started for the main doors.

"They didn't bring her body back," Jane said.

Daria and Martin stopped and looked back at her. The tall runner shook her head and said, "You'll have to ask one of them." She turned and rushed towards the bathroom.

They went outside, where Cody led the men to the front door. He saw Martin, swallowed and stopped him at the foot of the front steps. "She's dead, Martin. It's over."

"Where's her body?"

The men looked at him, then looked away. Some of them looked nauseous. "We buried her out there, Martin. Trust me, man, it was better that way."

"Why?" Nobody said anything. "Why did you bury her out there?"

"She was killed by dogs, Martin. It...it was horrible. She had shot some of them, but the rest got her. We killed the rest of the dogs." He put his hands on the teen's shoulders and said, "I'm sorry, Martin."

Daria took him by the left arm and asked, "Where do you want to go?"

"The back step. I need to...I need to absorb this."

As they walked, she became aware that he was starting to lose it. She rushed their final steps and sat him on one of the steps, then moved beside him.

For several minutes, he cried as she guided his head into her right shoulder and held him. _I'm thankful she's gone, _she thought. _I feel so bad for being thankful, though._

She wiped tears from her eyes and patted on his back gently.

After awhile, his cries subsided and he said, "This sounds crazy, I know." He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. "She was my mother and despite how she acted towards me and did all that weird stuff...I loved her."

"If you had gone out after her earlier, you wouldn't have been able to do anything," she said. "I knew that then. That's why I stopped you. So you wouldn't do anything that ate at you for the rest of your life." She closed her eyes and continued to hold him.

**oooooooooo**

The next morning, Daria and Martin walked into the lunchroom for breakfast. He used his walking stick and winced a couple of times as he moved. They saw Trent and Pam and approached their table.

As they passed one table, however, three teenaged boys around their age stood up and blocked them. One, a tall dark-haired teen in a muscle shirt flexed his muscles and smacked his left palm with a fist. "Your protector's dead and gone now, Peters," he said. "You have to face us now, and it isn't going to be pleasant."

Martin's face flushed and Daria felt him tense up beside her. "What do you want?" she asked them. One of the teens wore a dirty, green John Deere cap and the third was tall and gangly. Already she labeled them in her mind: Muscle Boy, Farmer and Giraffe.

The boys looked at each other and laughed. Muscle Boy pointed at her and said, "You already have a new protector."

"But who's going to protect _her_?" Farmer said and looked her over slowly. "_He_ certainly won't."

"Look, she's armed!" Giraffe said. He raised his arms and waved them. "Oooh, I'm scared."

The three laughed at them, while Pam watched from her table. She touched Trent's left arm and said, "Babe..."

"Hold on," Trent said and watched the scene. "Let's see how he handles it. I'll help him, but not until he needs me."

"Go away," Martin told them. "Leave me...us alone."

"Wow," Giraffe said. "Your new mommy lets you talk. Does she let you go to the bathroom by yourself?"

"He probably still has to sit down to pee," Farmer said, "like all the other girls." He laughed even harder.

"What's the matter, pansy...I mean, _Peters_?" Muscle Boy asked. "Afraid of something?"

"I bet he's peeing his pants right now," Farmer said and all three laughed.

Martin lifted the walking stick slightly and held it at an angle by his side.

"Come on, Martin," Daria said and pulled his arm. "Just ignore these baboons." She moved to guide him away from them.

"Yeah, Martin," Muscle Boy said, his voice in a mocking falsetto, "be a good little pussy for us." The other two laughed.

Suddenly, Martin whipped the walking stick around in front of him. The wooden tip connected with Muscle Boy's nose and brought out not only a cry of pain, but a gush of blood as well. Then Martin tossed the stick aside as his victim grabbed his nose and cried out again.

Everyone froze at the sudden attack except Martin. Daria stared at him as he grabbed Giraffe by his arms and rammed his left knee into the tall boy's groin twice. The boy whimpered and his hands went to his crotch.

Farmer turned his attention towards Daria and swung his right fist at her.

Trent got to his feet as the girl sidestepped the punch. She quickly kicked her attacker's right shin. A loud crack sounded out as he cried out and fell onto his butt and held onto his injured leg. "Ouch," Trent said as he watched the scene.

Martin backhanded Giraffe and pushed him back hard, where he fell on the floor. He then turned to Farmer, swung a punch under his chin and knocked him back. Then he turned to Daria. "Are you O.K.?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said and then her eyes widened. "Look out!"

Muscle Boy kicked Martin's left ankle and Daria saw her boyfriend fall to the floor with a strangled cry of pain. "You bastard!" Muscle Boy yelled and kicked Martin's side. "You broke my nose!"

Trent moved faster to stop the fight.

Daria rushed up and shoved Muscle Boy back away from Martin. "Stop it!" she yelled at him. "Leave him alone!"

The boy turned on Daria quickly and said, "I'll let you have it then." He drew his fist back to punch her, then froze as she quickly rammed one of her Doc Martens in his crotch. Trent stopped and winced as the boy's face contorted in pain. He fell to his knees and he grabbed his injured manhood.

Daria knelt next to Martin and helped him to sit up. Trent came up, pushed Muscle Boy back onto the floor and got on Martin's other side.

"Martin!" she yelled. "Are you hurt?"

He sat there, his eyes tightly closed and his breaths short and hard. "My ankle," he said and gasped. "I think he broke it."

Kathy Wilson and two other women walked in the lunchroom, stopped and took in the scene. She sighed, shook her head wearily and asked, "What is it now?"

Daria pointed at the three injured teens. "Those punks attacked us, Kathy. One of them hurt Martin's ankle bad."

The doctor looked at the teens Daria indicated. "They don't look so good themselves."

"They got what they deserved," Jimmy Smith said as he stood up from the table where he had eaten breakfast. "You should have seen it, Kathy. Martin laid into those numbnuts and let 'em have it." He saw Daria glance at him and he hastily added, "Daria let 'em have it, too."

Kathy shook her head again and said to one of the women with her. "Would you get Pastor Jack and Odell? See if they can deal with these three...fools." She looked at Trent. "You...and Jimmy...help me get Martin to my office. Are you hurt, Daria?"

"No."

"Thank God for small favors."

In the doctor's office, Kathy gently felt Martin's left ankle in different places. He winced once and cried out in pain another time.

"How bad is it?" Daria asked.

"I think he's got a fracture," the doctor said. "Without an X-ray machine, however, I can't be certain." She looked at Martin. "I'm going to put a cast on you. You won't be on your feet for at least a week. No more walking, running or anything, but staying off your feet."

Martin covered his face and groaned. "Just great. It just gets better and better."

Daria held his shoulder and gripped it as Kathy prepared to encase Martin's ankle.

**oooooooooo**

It was later that day when Rev. Harris and the church deacons came in Martin's room. The preacher looked at Daria and Martin, who seemed surprised at the visitors. "I'm glad that you two were...decent."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Daria asked, a smirk on her face.

"We need to meet with Martin, Daria, to discuss what happened this morning, amongst other things. Then we'll get to you." The men grabbed chairs and sat down around the teens.

Martin shook his head. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of Daria, too. I have no secrets from her."

She looked at him and gave him a slight smile. _I'm glad to hear you say that. _"The same goes for me," she said.

Rev. Harris cleared his throat then and said, "Very well. I'm going to ask you two a question and I don't want to be told what Kathy Wilson was told the other day."

Daria's face blanched and Martin noticed it. He decided to wait for the question.

"Have you two had sexual contact of any sort?"

The two teens looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then they looked back at the pastor and deacons. "No," Martin said blandly, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"I did take my shirt off," Daria said, "and paraded around in my bra and blue jeans. Of course, Martin was a little busy at the time, _bleeding all over my wadded up T-shirt and the floor_!"

The preacher kept a straight face and replied, "I was told that the other night, you two were having sexual intercourse somewhere in this church."

Both looked at each other again, and Daria said quickly, "We did not!" Then she saw a smile form on Martin's face. _O.K., let's see what Devious here has thought up._

He sighed and said to Daria, "I told you that we forgot to do something the other night."

She smiled back at him. _Two can play this game real well. _"Well, what do you expect?" she asked him and put her hands on her hips. "It wasn't on the list. The list did not say _talk, kiss, hug, hump until our noses bleed, talk some more, etc. _It just said _talk, kiss and hug_." She shook her head. "Do _I _have to write the list from now on?"

Before Martin could answer, Rev. Harris said, "HEY! That isn't funny."

In one chair, Jimmy Smith closed his eyes and covered his mouth with his left hand. The new deacon had been appointed after Glen Bates had died. It was obvious that he covered his smile, but the other two deacons kept straight faces.

"Whether you did or didn't before now is irrelevant to what I now have to say," the preacher continued. "The two of you are not to be alone behind closed doors in this church again, unless the two of you are married to each other. Is that understood?"

Both teens nodded and looked at the floor.

"You are both children," he continued and nodded when they both looked up at him quickly. "Oh, yes, in our eyes, the two of you are still children. Until we get in contact with your Uncle Jerry, Martin, you are in our care and under our rules. As for you, Daria, you are 17 years old and until we can find an adult relative of yours, you are also subject to our rules and edicts."

"You said nothing about this before," she pointed out and crossed her arms over her chest, "to either Jane or me."

"We haven't had to," Odell Jones said. "The two of you helped out and volunteered your services without being asked to. You both acted very mature and we saw no need to 'control' your actions - until now."

"Are you going to talk to Jane, too?" Daria asked. "Or should I warn her myself?"

"No," Rev. Harris said and shook his head. "Her adult brother is here and she is under his supervision - such as it is."

"Don't count on getting to spank me," she said. "My own parents don't spank me."

"There will be no spanking, Daria, for either of you." He looked at the paper in front of him and said, "This is a decision that we came to before we met with you. Martin, in punishment for the fight you had in the lunchroom, you are restricted to your room for 24 hours. During that 24 hours, you won't come out and no one will visit you. You will be given water and three MREs. You are also to apologize to those three boys."

"What?" Daria asked out loud. "That's ridiculous! We were attacked and _we're _the ones being punished?"

"Based on the injuries I've seen, you two got off a lot better than they did," the older deacon said.

"A 24-hour restriction?" Martin asked. "What about bathroom breaks? Or will I have to wear a diaper?"

"Don't be disgusting, boy," Odell said. "You will be provided bathroom breaks at random times by myself or Jimmy. To add to what Pastor Jack said, you will have no books, no paper and pens, no music with you. You will be alone to think and pray on what you've done." He held out his right hand. "Give me your backpack."

Martin's face had a deep red color by this time. Daria quickly grabbed the backpack and said, "I'll hold it for him, thank you."

"You might as well give it to us," Rev. Harris said. "You have punishment coming, too."

"What about those three punks?" Martin asked. "Do they get off with nothing?"

"I don't consider a broken nose, a concussion, several lost teeth, a broken shin and two injured groins to be nothing, Martin. Were you two trying to kill them?"

Martin smiled, leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. That action made a chill go down Daria's spine as she watched it. "No," he said. "If we were trying for that, they'd be dead right now."

Odell shook his head and said, "This is important, Daria, Martin. Luke 6:28 and 29 says '_Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also_.'"

"So what you're saying," Daria said, " is that it would have been better that Martin and I were beaten up rather than teach those three some manners?"

There was silence at first, then Odell continued, "When you make a show of resolve and force, you can make people back down. When you make a show of violence, you destroy all reason and invite retaliation."

"I disagree," Martin said. "What our actions told them was that they cannot push us around. When you give in to a bully, it never stops them. It just makes them bolder and the bullying worse. What we did was give them a blunt wake-up call that told them to straighten up or get hurt even more."

"We've made our decision and it stands," Rev. Harris said. "Daria, for your part in this fracas, you will stand a 12-hour watch starting at six p.m. tonight. You will walk the church grounds as a part of your watch. You will not stop and talk to Martin or Jane or her family or anyone else. You will be given breaks for the bathroom and a meal. You will also apologize to those you helped injure."

"Your generosity overwhelms me," she said and rolled her eyes.

"Keep up the smart comments," Odell said, "and the watch time will go to 18 hours."

The girl glared at them, but said nothing more.

"This is all my doing," Martin said quickly. "Give me Daria's punishment in addition to mine and spare her. Please."

Daria stared at Martin and the men looked at him in some surprise. Rev. Harris shook his head and said, "No. Your ankle is probably broken and you can't do it."

"I can do it. I will do it."

The preacher smiled. "I like that attitude, Martin, more than you realize. Daria, however, needs to understand the consequences of her actions as well."

Rev. Harris stood up and the deacons joined him. "Let's clean the extras out of here. Martin's restriction starts now."

Daria looked at him as the men moved books and other items out of the room. "You didn't have to do that," she said quietly and looked down. "But I'm glad you offered. Thank you."

"This is ridiculous!" he said. "We shouldn't even be getting punished at all."

"Well, I'm not a damn bit happy about this, either" she said in a quiet voice. "Not one bit."

"This has nothing to do with the fight," he said. "I'd bet the bank on that one. It has to do with us being alone _and _unsupervised."

Daria thought for a few seconds and nodded. "I wondered about that myself."

"I've had it," Martin said, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Every time I stand up for myself, it freaking backfires." He looked at her. "I'm sorry."

"Why? You did..._we_ did what we had to."

"You did try to avoid the fight."

Daria then gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry if I made you look henpecked in front of those jerks."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I don't think they'll remember _that_."

She moved next to him and said, "I'm not apologizing to them. What about you?"

He said nothing at first, exhaled loudly and said, "No. You know, Mom and Dad got into a bad fight once over me defending myself. Dad was proud that I stood up for myself and won. Mom was furious and punished me. I had to fill out 10 notebooks saying that I wouldn't fight ever again."

"I saw them in the garage."

Martin looked at her, and gave her a weak smile. "It took me three days to fill all that out. My hand hurt for more than two weeks after that."

Odell Jones stopped and said, "Daria, you have to leave now."

She kissed him quickly and they hugged. "See you in 24 hours, honey."

He held her to him and said, "I love you."

She pulled back, looked at his face and saw his sad expression. "It'll be O.K.," she said. "I love you, too." She got up, walked to the door and watched him as they shut the door and locked it.

Daria turned and carried Martin's backpack with her as she sought out Jane.


	31. Chapter 31

After Daria left Martin to his restriction, she sat down at her sleeping space and laid Martin's backpack beside her.

She glared at Rev. Harris and the deacons as they walked by. Except for Jimmy Smith, who she figured had been the one to vote against the punishments.

Quietly, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She looked up at the clock and saw that she had a little more than an hour before her watch began. _Damned hypocrites! _she thought and frowned. _Punish us for something that never happened, but let three bullies who attacked us off without even a slap on the wrist._

After a few minutes, she laid down on the sleeping bag and placed her left arm on the bag. She was tempted to open it up and examine his belongings, but that could wait until he was there to agree to it.

She looked at the clock again. Fifty-eight minutes to go. _Crap, this is going to be a long night. Hope it's going better for Martin._

**oooooooooo**

After five minutes alone, Martin laid still on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. _ That was really smart, Peters. Get all alone with your girlfriend inside the church and get all those beady, little brains to start generating their mind farts._

He sighed, then grimaced at the pain in his ankle. Kathy had prescribed him some Tylenol with codeine, but it hadn't kicked in fully yet. Then thoughts of his parents came to him and he closed his eyes as tears filled them.

The door opened; he wiped his eyes and looked up to see Odell Jones come in and shut the door behind him.

"I'm not supposed to have visitors, Odell," the teen said. "Besides that, just looking at you disturbs me."

"Good," the deacon said and smiled. "You need to be disturbed. I just have a few things to say to you and I'll let you stew on that all night, because I don't think you'll sleep very well."

"Well, la dee da," Martin said. "Tell someone who cares."

The smile then left Odell's face; he stood over the teen and looked down at him. "This entire mess we've been through is all your fault. Your mom's death, your dad's death, Glen's death and Melissa's injury - all that is your fault because you're selfish and you just had to flaunt your illicit relationship with that girl."

Martin opened his eyes and looked up at him. "What?"

"You heard me, boy. Your little rebellion against your calling has resulted in three deaths, almost caused two more and then caused the loss of your home. All that ought to weigh on your soul for the rest of your miserable life."

Martin stared at him for several seconds, then said, "I do not have a calling to be a minister! Why can't all of you get that through your thick heads? How many times have I got to say that to you people?"

"How many times do you have to be reminded that you are rebelling against the will of God?" The deacon knelt down closer to him. "I understand why you're attracted to Daria, boy. I really do. She's...exotic, different, forbidden fruit. But she's also an unbeliever, Martin. Like I said, forbidden fruit. She and her female friends are also...good looking women. I can see why you...desire Daria. I can see why you had sex with her."

_Oh, crap, I'm not hearing this, _Martin thought and blinked. He felt his face and neck get hot as anger swelled inside him.

"Be that as it may," the deacon continued and looked at the fingers of his right hand briefly, "they aren't going to be here much longer. They'll be on their merry way and you'll be here alone. Totally alone. I'd be shocked if any woman here would want you after what you've done. If you want to make amends for the chaos _you've_ caused, you'll stop rebelling and embrace your calling."

Martin sat up and glared at the man. "One, I am not going to be a preacher! Two, I have not had sex with Daria, either here or elsewhere! Three, I did not cause those deaths! Mom did it and would have done something similar eventually anyway. Dad said that Mom was sick and I now know what he meant by that. Four, I know why you're so obsessed with my sex life. You're jealous of me."

Odell looked at the teen in shock. "Don't be ridiculous, boy! There's no way I'd be jealous of you!"

"You want Daria, Jane or Pam. Maybe all three. I don't know and I don't care. But because _you_ can't have them, you're lashing out at me because Daria and I _are_ a couple. You want to screw Daria, you perv--"

The deacon quickly grabbed Martin by the throat and squeezed it hard. He kept a tight hold, even though the youth tried to pry his hand off. "You listen to me, and you listen good. You will keep your mouth shut and you will do as you're told. You think you're an adult, but you are nothing but a childish, spoiled brat. When those women leave, you will fulfill your obligation to this church, to make amends for the deaths _you_ caused."

He released Martin and the teen sat there, holding his throat and coughing. "Damn you!" the youth spat out. "You stay away from Daria! Leave her and her friends alone!"

Odell smiled at him and walked towards the door. "I'll take Daria to where she's going to stand her watch _all alone _- no one else will be there. Who knows, maybe she'll show some _appreciation_ to the man who saved her life." Then he shut and locked the door behind him.

Martin stared at the door. _He wouldn't dare! _he thought. _Would he? _He leaned his head forward and prayed quietly.

**oooooooooo**

Odell Jones moved with purpose to start Daria on her watch. He hummed some song fragment over and over as he walked. He muttered, "Better make her think I'm mad or she'll wonder why I'm happy." He cleared his throat and frowned then.

Daria looked up as he approached her. She saw the frown on his face and sighed. _Great, just great. Not only is he going to punish me, he's got a major bug up his ass._

She handed Jane the backpack and said, "Guard that with your life, Lane. Let no one else but Martin or myself have it."

"Sure thing, Daria. Unless it's a cute guy and he distracts me."

The deacon reached them and held out his hand. "Give me that. I want to see what our young troublemaker carries in here with him."

Daria stood up, crossed her arms over her chest and said, "No."

"I don't like being told 'no', young lady."

"Hang around me and it'll happen to you a whole lot more often. Let's just get this over with so you can go back to being a Pharisee."

Odell looked at her in surprise. "I'm impressed," he said. "I never expected you to know what a Pharisee was, or that it's an insult to a Christian."

Daria sighed again and walked up to him. "I'm just full of surprises, aren't I? What am I supposed to do on this watch?"

He looked at Jane and saw her hold the backpack tightly. She gave him a lupine grin that challenged him to try it and he quickly led Daria away. "What you will do is patrol in an isolated area near the church all night. You will be checked on regularly by me to make sure that you haven't sneaked off to see Martin or that you're not goofing off."

"Oh, joy."

When they arrived at the front doors, he handed her a weird-looking rifle. "What's this thing?" she asked as she took it. "It must weigh 20 pounds!"

"It's a weighted-down prop. You get to carry it around and think on what you've done to deserve this punishment."

"I helped defend my boyfriend from three bullies who attacked him. So what bad thing am I supposed to have done?"

The deacon looked at the defiant teen and gave her a small smile. "You already know what you two did the other night. I hope the sex was good, because you sure shot your reputation here."

Kathy Wilson walked up then, saw not only Odell's smile, but Daria's glare as well and asked, "What's going on?"

Odell glanced at her in irritation, sighed and said, "She's about to serve her punishment for her part in the fight this morning."

The doctor stared at him for several seconds, then looked at Daria. She said, "That doesn't sound right, Odell. Two of the three who attacked Martin are in the lunchroom watching CNN. They don't look like they're under any punishment at all."

The deacon shook his head. "They aren't. They're the victims in this incident."

Daria turned and stared at the man in shock and anger. "How can you stand there and lie like that?" she asked and pointed her right index finger at him. "Martin just lost his parents and had an injured ankle when they attacked him! I know what this is all about, you hypocrite! It's about-"

"Daria, wait," the doctor said quickly. "You look a little pale, dear. I think you need to come with me, so I can check you out."

Odell turned on the doctor and said angrily, "She's just fine! She has to go on watch! Now!"

Kathy crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you questioning my medical expertise and opinion, Odell Jones?" she asked calmly. "Show me your medical license or else shut up. Put the rifle down and come with me, Daria." The teen tossed the prop back at the elder, who barely caught it. As they walked off, the doctor asked her quietly, "Are you O.K.?"

Daria shook in her fury as she walked beside the older woman. "Idiotic jerk!"

"We just heard about your punishment from Jimmy and several of us are not happy, to say the least. Odell's the one who said that you and Martin had sex in the church." Kathy turned and looked Daria in the face. "O.K. No more coy answers, no more stonewalling. Trouble is brewing here and we have to head it off. I have to know for certain. Did you and Martin have sexual intercourse inside this church?"

Daria blushed, swallowed and said, "No."

"Have you had sexual intercourse at all?"

Daria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No."

"Have you two had any kind of sexual contact in this church? Such as fondling, being naked and the like."

Daria looked down briefly, then looked back up at Kathy. "I was topless briefly in front of him once. That was it."

"O.K., we'll avoid that topic in the meeting then." The doctor shook her head. "You do realize that by going behind closed doors in this building, you two have fed the rumor mill, don't you? Why couldn't you take it elsewhere? I don't care what you and Martin do when you're alone, unless it's in here."

"We talked, we hugged, and we kissed." Daria looked down at the floor. "But the other night, we cried - all night long. We're taking things slowly, Kathy. I...feel good when I'm with him, and he appears to feel the same way when he's around me. At times, it's as if we're in sync with each other." She looked up at the older woman. "Is that so wrong? I don't understand why people are having such a problem with it."

"Some of the members here think that Martha's calling for her son was very real. They see you as a roadblock to that."

"Martin does not want to do that! Even Rev. Harris sees that and doesn't believe Martin has that calling. Why can't the others understand that?"

"I don't know, Daria," the doctor said. "I do know this, however. Everyone knows that you two are alone in the world now. That could speed up...intimacy, in their minds."

"Martin is still mourning his parents and I feel an emptiness when I think of mine. If anything, that put the brakes on it. It's kind of hard to have sex when your world has just been torn apart like his was."

Kathy gave her a weak smile and said, "That's not how a lot of people think it went."

"They're perverted, then," Daria said quickly and grimaced. "They need to clean their thoughts up and get their minds out of the gutter."

The doctor then said in a quieter voice, "I can do an exam on you and present the results to the church leaders or even the congregation, if you so decide."

"What kind of exam?"

"A gynecological one, Daria. If your hymen is intact, that would shut up a lot of people."

Daria's blush was the deepest that Kathy had ever seen. The teen stared at her and shook her head. "No," she finally said. "The state and condition of my vagina is nobody's business but my own."

"It was just a suggestion," Kathy said and motioned towards the sanctuary. "Let's get ready. We've called a membership meeting and you're a part of it."

"What about Martin?" Daria asked. "He's a member, isn't he?"

"A couple of the men are getting him."

**oooooooooo**

Rev. Harris looked at the assembled members and especially at Daria and Martin, who sat by each other and glared at him.

Jane, Trent, Pam and her girls sat behind Daria and Martin. Kathy Wilson and her husband Denny sat with them, as did Jimmy and Melissa Smith. Danny Smith sat beside Jane and they held hands as the meeting began.

The preacher cleared his throat and spoke. "You members called this meeting to challenge the punishment we gave to Daria and Martin this afternoon, for their part in the lunchroom fight this morning. I think the deacons and myself handled it correctly, so let's hear why you don't agree."

Gerald Parker, a man in his 50s, stood up and said, "I've talked to at least two dozen witnesses to this fight. Every one of them said that those three-" He pointed to the three bullies who were guarded by two of the older men. "-started the whole thing by attacking Martin. Two of them even tried to punch Daria. Now this may be old-fashioned, but I was raised to believe that a real man doesn't strike a woman. Ever. In my eyes that deserves severe punishment by itself, especially since both boys are much bigger than she is. Why weren't these three punished?"

"Did you see their injuries, Gerald?" Odell Jones said as he stood up beside the preacher. "One of them has a broken shin! Yes, they shouldn't have started the mess, but there was no reason for what was done to them."

A second man stood up near Gerald and said, "Of course you would say that. Tommy is your nephew and the other two are his buddies. They've been nothing but trouble since they got here. They goof off on watch and do little to contribute to our well-being." Several voices muttered in agreement with that.

Daria leaned over and asked Martin, "Did you know that one was Odell's nephew?"

"No, I didn't."

"That has nothing to do with it!" Odell yelled out. "They're a little high-spirited, I know that-"

"If they had beaten up Martin and Daria, what would happen then, Odell?" Gerald asked. "Nothing?"

Denny Wilson, Kathy's husband, stood up and said, "I have something to add here. Martin Peters was shot during the raid and the gunshot wound is still healing. An injury he received defending this church, the rescue center and all the people here. He also sprained his ankle, which was later broken by Tommy in the lunchroom this morning. I don't call that 'high-spiritedness', Odell. I call it deliberately cruel."

"Just wait a minute here-" Odell interrupted him.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" Everyone stared at the doctor's husband, who now said, "Thank you. Martin has lost his parents _and _his home and suddenly he's being punished for defending himself?" He looked at Odell and Rev. Harris. "Are you certain that he and Daria aren't being punished for _something else_?"

Now all eyes went to the preacher and he felt his face turn hot. He took a deep breath and said after several seconds, "I do not want to violate Martin's and Daria's privacy like that."

"I'll talk then!" Martin spoke out loudly. When everyone looked at him, Daria blushed and stared at him. He cleared his throat and blushed as well.

"Martin-" she said.

"It'll be O.K., Daria. This has to be said." He looked at his friends, then the rest of the people and said, "We were accused of having sexual intercourse inside the church. It did not happen, people - ever. My parents were members of this church when I was born. I grew up in this church and had several different Sunday School teachers as I got older. I was taught right from wrong and I embrace those teachings. I would never _do that _in here. I'm insulted that you'd think that I would."

Lucinda Johnson said, "Martin, you and Daria were alone behind closed doors the other night. How do we know you weren't having sex then?"

The teen blushed even more and said, "That is true. We were alone behind closed doors. But I was also crying my eyes out and Daria was crying along with me. My dad had died that same day and it hurt. It still hurts now. Think back to when your father died, Mrs. Johnson. Was sex on your mind then? I don't think so. It sure wasn't on mine when Dad died."

The elderly gossip nodded and said, "I agree with you on that. But still, it did give the wrong appearance. You two should have kept the door open. Nobody would have bothered you."

"For what it's worth, I apologize for giving the wrong appearance to everyone here." He looked at Rev. Harris, Odell and the other deacon, Ron Dorsey, who stood up with the other two. "Why can't you three admit that you think we had sex and that you're punishing us for that?"

Rev. Harris looked at them and then at the congregation. "Very well, I still think that you two had sex in this building the other night. As far as I'm concerned the punishment we gave you is just and fair."

"I don't think it is," Martin said. "I'm 18 years old and I resent being punished like a little child. Daria's 17 and I know she resents her treatment as much as I resent mine. Under West Virginia law, the two of us are adults. You cannot confine us for 'sex'. However, you could have and should have counseled us as a couple _by yourself_. Odell wouldn't have needed to be a part of that, no matter how much he gets a thrill from it."

The deacon glared at the teen and said, "I resent your implication, young man!"

Martin smirked at him. "I don't care. A counseling session would have been a lot more respectful to us than that little show trial you put on. I, for one, have no intention of letting you lock me back up in that room."

"I don't intend to stand a 12-hour watch, either," Daria said aloud. "Jane and I have volunteered and helped out when we could have just as easily sat back and did nothing."

One person spoke out. "You are being treated for rabies and owe us for that."

"Hold on there, Fred!" Jimmy Smith said and stood up. "Christian charity does not demand payment! Did Jesus demand payment from those He healed? No, sir! We shouldn't do it either, because not only is it a slap in the face of the people we serve, it's an insult to God as well." He turned to Rev. Harris and his fellow deacons. "Those three boys do deserve punishment, however. They're troublemakers and they're punks. In the past, they've been in trouble in school and with the law and quite honestly, I'm surprised that they weren't with the raiders who attacked us."

"I resent that implication, well!" Odell said quickly. "My nephew and his friends would never go against us like that."

"They are self-centered bullies, Odell. Martin could have died when he saved Daria from being shot. He also rushed into a burning building to try and save his Dad - with a badly sprained ankle. Both actions were done without regard for his own personal safety. He alone is worth more than the three of them put together."

"Daria is also worth more than the three of them put together," Kathy added. "She and Jane have done a lot more here than they have and the girls aren't even members or related to any members."

"We'll put it to a vote," Rev. Harris said quickly. It was apparent that he wanted to end the meeting quickly. "For your information, Daria, Martin, I still consider you two and Jane to be children, despite what you've said tonight."

"Consider it all you want!" Martin quickly responded. "We will not accept it!"

Several issues were presented for the members to vote on. Two of the bullies were sentenced to stand a 12-hour watch once a day for the next week. The third bully was sentenced to two days of restriction in Martin's former room. That vote came in at 81 to 22.

Daria and Martin had their punishments rescinded, but at a much narrower margin, a vote of 53 to 50. An attempt to restrict all youths younger than 20 to the church grounds failed, however, at a vote of 60 to 43.

A final issue was decided upon. No couple, married or not, was to be alone behind closed doors within the church. That issue passed at 101 to 2.

As the meeting was called to a close, one man stood up and looked at Martin. "Son, I believe that you are in the midst of rebellion. Yes, Daria is a nice girl, and we certainly appreciate all she's done here for us, but she's leading you away from your legitimate purpose in life. You are called to the ministry."

"No, I'm not, Paul. What really cracks me up is that so many of you tell me that I'm called to this and I've felt no pull towards it. By the way, I don't like the rude way some of you have treated Daria and Jane, either. It's insulting and unbecoming of Christians to act that way.

"Back before Glen retired from the pulpit, he told me that he couldn't see this calling I supposedly had. He thought that I might become a deacon or church elder when I got older, but he didn't feel I had what it took to preach. He warned Mom then not to force her dreams on me." He sighed. "In the end, that's probably why she shot him." He looked at Odell then and his expression darkened.

Daria saw him glare at the deacon. _Uh, oh, _she thought. _Here we go again_.

Martin cleared his throat again. "Before we're finished here, I have one last thing to say, to Odell Jones. You stay away from Daria. You say nothing more to her and don't you ever try to collect 'payment' for saving her life the other day. You called her 'forbidden fruit' earlier tonight. She's not my 'forbidden fruit', nor is she yours. She's her own person and I'm putting you on notice."

The deacon became aware of people turning and staring at him. His face turned a deep red color and he said, "I...don't know what you're talking about, Martin."

Martin saw Daria's shocked expression and smiled at Odell. "Sure, you don't. Just make sure that you don't forget it, either. Because if you do touch her, I will...send you to a different plane of existence. See if you can figure that one out."

Odell glared at him for several seconds, then stormed out. Others began filing out of the sanctuary as the meeting ended.

Jane leaned over to Daria and sniffed her. "What kind of fruit are you, Daria?" she asked. "I can't tell."

"A pissed-off one," Daria whispered. She looked at Martin and asked, "When did he tell you this?"

The people around him listened as he said, "Right after I was locked up, he came back and told me that you, Jane and Pam were all good looking and desirable. But you are the one he called 'forbidden fruit', Daria."

Jimmy Smith nodded and said, "That answers a few questions about Odell that I've had over the years. Thanks for the heads-up on that, Martin."

The teen sighed and said, "I'm sorry that it came to this."

The young deacon shrugged and said, "It would have happened sooner or later, man. Really, they should have set the ground rules right away rather than just assuming that everyone would control their temptations." He took Melissa's arm and as they walked off, he said, "If I can help you with anything, Martin and Daria, let me know, O.K.?"

"Thank you," the couple said in unison.

Daria grinned at Martin and said, "Jinx! You owe me another Ultra Cola." Kathy then whispered in her right ear. The girl nodded and the Wilsons left the sanctuary.

Jane handed Martin his backpack and said, "Here you go. You have too much junk in there."

"Yeah, but it's my junk," he said as Jane and Danny walked away.

Trent moved over towards them and said, "Remember what I told you, man. Pam and I owe you. We have your back. Just let us know when you two want to, O.K.?"

"That's right," Pam added and they walked off with the girls.

Daria looked at the retreating couple and saw that they were alone. "What was that about?"

"Trent and Pam offered to stand guard in the cemetery if we wanted to...make love...out there."

Daria blushed and looked away from him. "I could _never_ do that with...guards!" she said. "However, we'll think of something when we want to be alone." She looked at Martin and saw that despite how relaxed he sounded, the stress of the meeting was still evident on his face. "Are you O.K.?"

He looked around the sanctuary, sighed and looked down. "I want out of here," he said. "I don't want to remain here any longer. I'm beginning to hate this...place."

"Martin..."

"Daria, nearly half the people sided with the preacher and Odell Jones about the sex charge. I wouldn't have been shocked if we were sentenced to being whipped in the parking lot."

Daria shuddered. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"

He put his arm around her and pulled her to him. "Some of the people here would gladly tie us to the whipping post, Daria, and salivate each time the lash tore into our backs. I've watched them during ball games and NASCAR races. Fights and car wrecks get them excited." He laughed bitterly. "Despite my telling them that we're adults, too many of them think I'm still a little boy who needs a thumb to hold him down."

"Don't tell me that you weren't hoping to see a fight or a wreck," she said. "I went to a faculty-DJ game once just for that reason."

Martin put on a fake hurt look. "I...I resemble that remark," he admitted and laughed. "My thing was watching tires bounce into the stands and seeing the audience panic."

She looked at him and shook her head. "I thought as much," she said. "But at least we aren't being punished anymore. I'd rather go through family court at home - and that was silly enough when it happened."

"I apologize for getting you in trouble," he said and lightly caressed the side of her face. "That was all my fault."

She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt his fingers move over her cheek and chin. Then she said, her eyes still closed, "I make my own decisions, Martin Peters. We went and did what we did together, side by side. You did not lead me into it, as if I were some slave."

"Sorry," he said. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"I know." She smiled and kissed his left cheek. "Thank you, especially for what you said to that...pervert." She shuddered again. "He almost had me alone tonight. He could have done anything and it would have been my word against his...if I didn't kill him first."

"I know you're an agnostic, Daria, but to me, God's purpose was to keep him from molesting you. It worked out that way."

She glanced sideways at him. "I can accept that."

"I'm going to need your help tomorrow," he said and changed the subject.

"You're going to need my help for the next week, gimpy."

"This is a specific request, Daria."

"I will not take you to the bathroom. There are limits in this relationship that will never be crossed, if I can help it."

He turned, saw her smirk at him and smirked back at her. "You're a real laugh riot. What I'm trying to say is that I'm moving to my garage tomorrow and I need your help in moving my stuff."

Daria stared at him for several seconds, took a tight hold on his hand and said, "I think you should wait."

"Why?"

"Your ankle is broken, Martin. I'm certain of it now."

"But -"

"Hear me out," she interrupted him. "Kathy wants you off of it for at least a week. Here's my idea. We cannot sleep together here and probably shouldn't just yet anyway. You can, however, sleep near where Jane and I do. That way, I'm close enough to help you - or hit you if I think that you need it."

Martin stared at her for several seconds, then gave her a sheepish grin and said, "Yes, dear."

"If, after a week, Kathy lets you walk with your stick again, I'll help you move."

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss. "I'm a blessed man, you know that?"

She returned his smile and his kiss. "You're right. You are blessed, indeed."

They laughed as Kathy returned with a wheelchair. The two women helped him into it and Daria wheeled him out of the sanctuary.


	32. Chapter 32

Sometime during the night, Daria turned on her right side and opened her eyes. She rubbed them and looked at Martin's sleeping form for the fifth or sixth time since the lights were turned off.

Then she looked at Jane, who slept with her mouth open. _She's going to have one dry mouth_, Daria thought and smiled. Trent and Pam slept spoon-fashion nearby and she noted how that Pam's little girls, Amber and Vickie, snuggled near their mother.

Suddenly Martin turned over onto his left side and she looked at him. Despite the blurred vision she had without her glasses, she saw his eyes and noted that his mouth opened wide in a silent scream. She heard him gasp twice and moved quickly towards him. "Martin!" she whispered. "What's wrong? Are you O.K.?"

He tried to catch his breath and blinked several times. "My ankle," he finally said in a hoarse voice. "I hit my ankle." He looked at her in confusion, gulped in air and then asked, "Why are you awake?"

"I've been checking on you on and off since we laid down." She patted his right arm and lightly squeezed his bicep. "Do you want me to get another pillow or a blanket for your ankle?"

He shook his head. "No," he said. "I'll be fine. Thank you, though." 

"You're welcome."

He blinked again. "You know what would be neat? A photograph of you just as you are now. You're beautiful, with or without your glasses."

Daria looked at him in confusion. "Either you're blind or you're just sucking up," she said. "My hair's a mess, and I probably look like death warmed over."

"I thought that I looked like _that_," he said.

"That is true, you do."

He smiled and held in a laugh. "I don't deserve you and your care."

She returned his smile. "You're right. You don't." She leaned over and kissed him briefly. "Now, go back to sleep." She watched him turn onto his right side and laid back down herself.

**oooooooooo**

_Daria looked down as the stocks were locked and now her neck and wrists were held in place. "I don't believe this is happening," she said and moved her wrists in a vain attempt to free them._

_Odell Jones stood in front of her and was dressed as a Pilgrim from the Plymouth Colony would have. He unrolled a scroll and looked severely at the teen. "Daria Morgendorffer," he said, his voice officiously regal, "you have been sentenced to spend 48 hours in the stocks for unlawful carnal knowledge with Martin Peters."_

"_This is nuts!"_

"_Daria!" Jane said from beside her._

_Daria turned to see Jane to her right, in the stocks as well. "Jane?"_

"_Always look on the bright side of life!" Jane sang and smiled._

_The sound of multiple people whistling could be heard and Daria looked around. Martin, Trent, Pam and her daughters were all in the stocks on either side of her._

"_Always look on the bright side of life!" everyone sang out loud. They all tried to move with the lyrics, but the stocks made that difficult._

_Other people in the stocks included Jimmy, Melissa and Danny Smith, Kathy and Denny Wilson and even their dog Benji, as well as those who had shown them support in the meeting._

"_Always look on the bright side of life!" The dog howled along with the singing._

"_This is insane!" Daria said._

"_It could be worse, Daria," Martin said from her left and whistled briefly. "We could all be crucified right now."_

_Then Daria saw the character Igor from _Young Frankenstein _walk by. He looked at her and said, "It could even be worse than that. It could rain."_

_Just then thunder sounded and a drenching downpour started. Daria blinked in the rain, shook her head and tried to ignore the singing around her._

"_Always look on the bright side of life!"_

**oooooooooo**

Daria sat up and, reassured that she was still inside the church and not in the stocks, looked around and sighed. "No more cinnamon candies before bed," she muttered and laid back down. "Stupid dreams!"

**oooooooooo**

At a little after eight, Daria woke up, to find Martin in his wheelchair; he smirked at her as she put on her glasses and sat up. "Who helped you into the chair?" she asked.

"Nobody," he said. "I used my arms and my right leg to do it." He shrugged. "Takes a little getting used to is all."

"How long have you been up?" she asked.

"An hour, I think. Had a bad dream and couldn't go back to sleep."

She looked at him. "What about? Your parents?"

He sighed and shook his head. "You and I were hung from a tall tree by our wrists and a bullwhip was used on us. I hate dreams like that."

"Who was whipping us, as if I didn't know?'

"That's the thing, Daria. Everyone else but us were in shadows, or a blur." He grimaced. "I could see the stripes on your back and remembered getting whipped myself. One really hurt and I woke up. My shirt had bunched under my shoulder blades - that's what hurt."

"At least I'm not the only one having crappy dreams."

"Oh? What did you dream about?"

She stood up, stretched and scratched her left side. "We were in the stocks and everyone was singing a Monty Python song." Quietly she moved to him, kissed him and quickly pulled back. "Ugh, morning breath."

"Well, excuse me, but I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

A smile formed on her face and she moved behind him. "I'm probably not all sweetness right now myself."

"Now I don't know about that. Let me taste you and I'll let you know."

Daria smiled and smacked the back of his head with her right hand. "Down, boy."

"What's going on here?"

Daria and Martin turned to look at Odell Jones as he walked up towards them.

"I don't know," Martin said and scratched his head. "What is it called again, Daria?"

"Communication."

"Oh, that's right. You know what that is, don't you, Odell? It's something couples are supposed to do, even in a church. It wouldn't hurt other people if they did it, too. That is, if they communicated the truth instead of a bunch of lies."

"I'm watching you two," the deacon said and frowned. "Don't get any funny ideas in here."

"Your life must be more boring than mine," Daria said, then looked at her boyfriend. "What's next on our itinerary, Martin?"

Martin pretended to consult a list. "Let's see...wake up...kiss...talk...speak to a fool...ah, here it is, breakfast."

Odell moved quickly in front of the wheelchair and said, "You two will screw up somewhere along the line and I'll be there to catch you at it."

The two teens stared at him and said nothing at first. The deacon, however, noted that both of their right hands moved - Martin's to his left shoulder and Daria's to her right hip. Finally, the girl asked, "Can you guess what else you'll catch if _you _screw up?"

"I guarantee you that it won't be a cold, Odell," Martin said. "Stay off of our backs. We'll behave - as long as you do, too."

The deacon paled and walked off.

"Jerk," Daria said, then looked down at Martin. "I thought your sidearm was on your hip."

"I put on my shoulder holster instead," he said. "Being in a wheelchair kind of hinders me if I had to do a quick draw. So now you can just call me Quick Draw Martin."

"Don't call me Baba Louie, or I'll use a guitar on you." She picked up his backpack and laid it on his lap. "I'd like to see what you carry in here. Not only that, I want to see the picture that Jane gave you. She wouldn't tell me which one it was, either."

Martin glanced up at her as she pushed the wheelchair towards the lunchroom. "You might get mad and take it away from me," he said. "It is a really, really good one."

Daria sighed. "Looks like Jane is in trouble, then."

**oooooooooo**

After they had ate breakfast, Martin opened the backpack and said, "You do know that those pictures you found in the garage are in here, don't you?"

Daria nodded. "Don't pull those out, then. But I'm curious at what you think is important enough to lug around in this."

He pulled out a couple of notebooks, a photo album, some of his chocolate stash, the Sony Discman he retrieved from the cave, several CDs and a dozen books.

Daria grabbed the photo album and opened it. The first picture was of Martin in his hunting gear as he stood over the body of a large buck. "How old were you in this one?" she asked.

"Thirteen," he said. "That was my first deer hunt, in Indiana, of all places."

"Visiting family?" He nodded and she looked at more pictures. On the next page was the picture Jane had given him. It was of Daria taken during a charity car wash. She had on a red, one-piece swimsuit and was soaking wet. In addition to being wet, she also looked thoroughly shocked. _I don't remember Jane taking this picture, _she thought.

"How'd you get so wet, Daria?" he asked.

Daria pulled the photo out of the album and noted his brief, but very real, panic when she did so. "It was a charity car wash and some of the kids from school were there. My sister and her club were there. Sandi...one of my sister's friends...got upset with Quinn for something stupid and tried to spray her with a hose. She got me instead, when Quinn used me as a shield."

"It's a good picture, Daria," he said quietly. "You look really beautiful in it."

"You're saying that because you can see my boobs through the wet material," she said and laid it face down on the table. She looked over her glasses at Martin. "Why should I let you have it back?"

He looked down for a second, then looked back up into her eyes. "It's the only photograph I have of you," he said. "Yes, the suit is wet and slightly revealing, but I really can't see _those_ through it. I...like it a lot and want to keep it. Please."

Daria looked at him, then slid the photo back into the album and turned the page. "Do not show this picture to anyone else," she said, her gaze locking on his. "Ever. If you do...and I find out about it...I will not be happy, and neither will you."

"Cross my heart, hope to die-"

"-and _I'll _stick a needle in your eye." She smiled then and said, "I want a picture of you. Any old picture will do."

Martin returned the smile. "Something to scare away the mice?" he asked.

"Something like that, yeah. I was thinking more of vampires, however."

"You know, speaking of vampires, I debated getting a tattoo of a cross on my chest once."

_Your mom would have killed you, _she thought. "Why?"

He smiled. "I'll give you a hint. 'Come out, Peters!'"

She returned his smile and rolled her eyes. "_I Am Legend_. If you ever get something like that, I want to be there when you do it." She turned the page and found a picture of him at a campfire in the darkness, the only light on his face from the flames. He was obviously speaking and she was surprised that for an existing light photo, it came out so well.

Then she stopped and stared at the expression on his face. _He looks like he did when he stood up to his mother_, Daria thought. She pulled the photo out of the album and said, "Mine."

"Yours," he replied and they kissed briefly. "You may find more you like better than that, however."

She looked through the rest of the pictures and hesitated at a school photo of a blonde-haired teen girl with a shy smile. "Is this...Sarah?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yeah. The only picture I have left of her. She took the rest when we broke up. I might as well toss it." He looked away. "Nothing but old history, anyway."

"No," Daria said and pulled his chin back to where he faced her. "It's _your_ history and you should keep it. I know that you lost a lot of stuff, Martin, but you still have more than I do. All I have are the contents of my purse and it's not that much. Don't throw away who you are."

She closed the album and picked up one of the notebooks. To her surprise, he slapped his left hand onto it and said, "My journal," he said quickly. "My...diary, I suppose you'd call it."

"I'm sorry," she said and handed it to him.

Then Danny Smith and Jane walked up. Danny said, "Martin, before I get some chow, do you need to be wheeled into the men's room?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He started to pull himself up with the walking stick, stopped and turned back to Daria. He pushed the notebook towards her and said, "Go ahead and look it over while I'm busy."

"No, I don't have to," she said quickly.

"Yes, you do," he said. "Sorry about my earlier reaction, Daria. But _you _can read it. After all, I owe you."

"That's the second time you've said that to me. How do you owe me?"

Martin lightly tapped his left shoulder. "You saved my life. How can I ever repay that?"

"You already did," she said. "You saved my life first, remember?"

"You also shot the raider who kicked in the door and shielded my body with yours when the grenade exploded. Go ahead and read what you want. But when I come back, you have to stop." He got into the wheelchair and Danny wheeled him away from the two girls.

Jane looked at Daria and said, "Well, he's gone, so let's read his innermost secrets." She laughed in an evil manner and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Then we can take over the world, heh, heh."

Daria looked at Jane, shook her head and opened the notebook. "_'Sarah broke up with me today--something happened, but I have no idea what it was, cause she won't tell me. She took all her photos back and gave me back mine. I thought it was working out between us. Mom did something, I'm sure of it.'_"

"Bummer," Jane said.

"Here's another one, a more recent one. _'Two cute girls showed up at the church today. One must be injured, because the other held her and guided her into Kathy's office. The one in the glasses is really cute. Wonder what's wrong with her?'_"

Jane laughed and said, "I told you before, Daria, he likes you."

"I'm not done. _'Mom saw me looking at them and gave me her usual lecture of how I'm supposed to be clean and chaste, blah, blah, blah. When I told her blah, blah, blah, she started yelling and I left. Why can't she just leave me alone? Keep it up, Mom. After I get my diploma, I'm taking off for parts unknown and your dreams will be stillborn.'_" She sighed. "Damn, I'm curious to know how his elementary and middle school years were."

Jane shook her head and said, "If this is any indication, I'd say bad."

"Here's one from just after Black Saturday. _'Aunt Mary hasn't shown up yet. We know that she had the field trip on Saturday. Mom and Dad don't want to talk about it, but she may not have even made it out of Washington. I hope she did. She's the only person who could ever talk sense into Mom, even if it was only temporary. Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish that she had been my mother instead of who I got.'_"

"Whoa," Jane said. "Not a good sign."

Daria exhaled loudly. "I think I've had a weird relationship with my parents, but he's got me beat on that score. Here's another entry from after that. _'I've had an interesting couple of days. First, I traded Odell watches so that I could stand watch with Daria. Daria. What a neat name. I've never met anybody with that name before. I asked her to be my girlfriend, but she turned me down. She also let me have it for putting myself down. I'm so used to doing that, it's easy to keep doing it. She's fun to talk to and does have a sense of humor. A dry one.'_"

"He's definitely pegged you right," Jane commented.

"Hush," Daria said. "_'Then we heard some popping noises outside. Daria won an Ultra Cola from me-'_"

"What?" Jane asked.

"You know, 'Jinx! You owe me an Ultra Cola!'"

"Oh."

"'_-and saw someone outside. I looked then and saw a man aim a rifle at us. I pushed Daria aside and tried to move. Too late and I got shot in the shoulder. I always used to think that being injured and tended to by a pretty girl would be fun and adventurous. That was stupid of me to think that. My shoulder felt like it was on fire, as if a red hot poker was rammed into it and ground in. Daria tried to find something to stop the bleeding and had to use her shirt. There I am, I can see Daria's bra, her bare shoulders and her belly and I'm ready to pass out from the pain. It hurt so much, I couldn't even cry. I couldn't even help her. She had to protect me instead and did a real stand-up job. She saved my life. I don't know of any other girl at the church (except maybe Jane) who would have embarrassed herself to save my life. I owe her my very life.'_"

"Oh, Daria, how do I love thee?" Jane asked in a singsong voice. "Let me count the ways." She pointed at Daria's chest. "One, two." Then she started laughing.

"Jane! People can hear and see you!"

Just then, Kathy Wilson showed up with a small suitcase in one hand and a leashed Benji in her other hand. She laid the suitcase on the table in front of Jane and said, "This is Glen's stuff. Remember, he said that we were to give it to you."

Jane stared at the suitcase and swallowed hard. "I appreciate this and all," she said, "but why did he give it to me? He didn't know me that long and I know that he still has living relatives."

Just then, the dog moved up to Daria and sniffed her ankle.

The doctor shrugged. "I know that the things in here were things he didn't want in a descendant's hands. Just wait and look it over. You'll understand."

Benji then moved up on Daria's right leg and started riding her.

"Stop it!" Daria said and shook her leg. "Get off my leg!"

Kathy pulled the terrier off of the teen's leg and said, "He obviously likes you, Daria. Sorry about that." She walked off and pulled the reluctant dog with her.

Jane giggled and pretended that she was talking into a microphone. "Experiment notes, day 1: Sprayed Daria's legs with canine pheromones. Experiment proved a success, but huge number of dogs on her legs prevented any real work getting done. On a side note, sales of the video _Daria's Doggy Legs _has gone through the roof."

"You're about to go through the roof yourself, Lane. Let's see what he left you."

The tall runner opened the suitcase and pulled out a worn, leather binder. College-ruled loose leaf papers were in the binder, as well as several photo sleeve pages.

Jane turned the page to the first photo and blushed. A woman pictured in the 8 x 10 was nude and photographed from behind; she looked over her shoulder at the camera, a coy smile on her face. The woman in the photograph was Jane Lane.

Or at least, a carbon-copy of her.

Daria looked at the photo and gasped. "Jane..."

"It's not me, Daria! It's not me!"

"Then who is she?"

Jane turned the photograph over. Written on the back was: _'To Glen, think of me often while you're in Korea. Your loving Jenny.'_

There were several other photos of Jenny. One of her and Glen on their wedding day made Daria smile. "Here's what you'll look like in white, Jane," she said. "If you wear white on your wedding day, that is."

"Hush." Other pictures showed a slight progression of the couple as they got older. But the picture Jane came back to after that was the nude.

Just then, Danny wheeled Martin back to the table. "Hey," he said. "Let's see what you're looking at."

"Yeah," Martin added. "Let's see it."

"NO!" Jane yelled and quickly closed the binder. "Stay away!"

Daria got up and moved Martin to the other side of the table. She pointed to a seat near Martin and said to Danny, "That's where you'll sit for right now."

"What did we do?" Danny asked. "Jane?"

"Nothing...yet." She shuddered, then added, "Get us some breakfast, and I'll tell you about it later on...maybe."

Martin looked at Daria and said, "Hey, I brushed my teeth."

"Good," Daria said. "Next we'll progress to washing our hands and face. Just sit there and be eye candy, while we look this stuff over."

He looked up at Danny, who shrugged and went to get him and Jane something to eat.

**oooooooooo**

Nearly an hour later, Martin set down a coffee cup and said, "No more for me, thanks. I'm driving."

Danny pushed himself back from the table and said, "That was the most lonely breakfast I've had in awhile. You sit right across from us and have your noses in that notebook, yet won't tell us what's in it."

"Oh, hush," Jane said. "I'm not betraying Glen's confidence."

"He's dead, Jane," her boyfriend said. "At least tell us something."

Daria and Jane looked at one another, and the taller girl said, "You read that one entry - about his last dream."

Daria sat back and held the notebook close to her. "_'I dreamed about Jenny last night. This time I got to talk to her and I asked her when I could be with her again. She told me that soon I would be with her, but not with her, and it would be almost time to come home. I don't understand what she meant, even though I prayed on it. It's still hard to accept that God answers prayers in His own time.'_"

Jane then said, "Read the entry from after we arrived."

Daria looked at her briefly, then continued, "_'I now understand what Jenny meant in my last dream of her. We have two new guests. Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane. As soon as I saw Miss Lane, I nearly had a heart attack. It was as if Jenny came walking in, looking as she did when I shipped out overseas. I want to talk with her, but I'm afraid of calling her the wrong name or making her feel as if I'm some sort of creep. But what Jenny told me in my dream has me wondering. Am I about to die?'_"

"Now read the last entry."

Daria looked at Jane and hesitated. "I think you should read it," she said.

Jane shook her head. "No," she said. "I'll cry if I do. Please, Daria."

"I'll read it if you want," Martin said and held out his right hand. Daria glanced at Jane, who nodded, and handed the notebook entry to her boyfriend.

Martin cleared his throat and said, "_'Jane, if you're reading this, it's because I'm dead and in Heaven with my beloved Jenny. I'm sorry if I've made you think I'm some old lecher lusting for you as if you were my dead wife. I wasn't. Jenny and I had our appointed time together here on Earth and it ended as all good things do. Forty-one years together went all too fast, however. But I still took a protecting interest in both you and Daria. To my shame, some of the members here treated you two badly; I feel as if I failed, since I was the senior preacher here for nearly 23 years and should have taught them better. You were blessed in finding your brother safe and sound. I pray that Daria finds her family the same way. She and Martin are growing closer.'_" He looked at Daria and they smiled at each other. "_'They are a good fit together and I've prayed for them as I have for you.'_"

"Stop." Jane took the paper from Martin and placed it back in the notebook. She looked at Danny and said, "I want to walk with you awhile, maybe in the cemetery. I probably won't say much, though."

He stood up. "Sure, no problem." He then looked at Daria and Martin and said, "If you'll excuse us."

They nodded and were left alone. They looked at each other and finally Daria said, "So we're a good fit together, huh?"

"I can't argue with that," he said. "Why couldn't we see the pictures?"

She stood up, made sure that the contents of his backpack were put back up and set it on his lap. Quickly, she kissed him and said, "Let's get you some outside air."

She wheeled him out of the lunchroom.


	33. Chapter 33

A couple of days after Jane received her 'inheritance' from Glen, she walked in on Daria and Martin doing some kind of workout.

"Lift!" Daria said as she pushed down on Martin's left knee.

He tried to lift his leg as she held it down.

Jane looked over the scene and smiled. "Hey, _amiga_, what's going on?"

She looked up at Jane and said, "I'm helping Martin exercise his legs. Since he's not allowed to be on his feet, he needs to at least use the muscles in his legs." Then she looked back at Martin. "Lift!"

Jane sat down by both of them and looked around. Satisfied that they were alone, she said in a quiet voice, "You're doing it all wrong."

Martin exhaled loudly as he relaxed, wiped sweat off his forehead and said, "Well, I'm getting a workout, so how is the way we're doing it all wrong?"

Jane chuckled and shook her head. "Kids. You think you teach them right and they botch it anyway."

"O.K., 'Dr. Lane'," Daria said and gave Jane an exasperated look. "What's the right way to do this?"

Jane leaned in and pulled Daria closer. She said, "You're holding his knee down wrong. What you're supposed to do is sit on his knee, hold him down with your body weight that way."

"What?" Daria asked and stared at her friend.

"It's true, Daria. Trust me." She smiled. "It would help if you wore your skirt and no panties while you did this and sit astraddle his leg. Then the problem would be to get him to _stop_ lifting his knee. But, oh, what an exercise." Then she hopped to her feet and walked off quickly. She whistled innocently as she walked off.

"Hey, I like that idea," Martin said and smiled at her.

Daria felt her face flush and whispered, "I could pour ice down your pants. After all, we do have ice here again."

"Eeep!" he said and gave her a small grin. "I'll be good."

"I doubt it." She moved back and pressed down on his left knee again. "Lift!"

**oooooooooo**

Later, Martin saw Daria grab his laundry bag and he said, "Hold on, there. What are you doing with my clothes?"

"It's your laundry day and I'm washing your stuff. Do you have anything else that needs washed?"

He blushed. "You don't need to do that! It can wait until I walk again and do it myself."

"Really? Do you have any clean clothes? You've worn the same thing for three days. Besides, why don't you want me to wash them?"

"You'll be washing my underwear."

"So? I wear underwear, too, you know. Calm down, it's not like I'm going to do a full inspection of everything."

"She used to," he said quietly and looked away.

"What?"

"My mom used to do just that," he said, his face even redder. "The first time I had a...had a..."

"Nocturnal emission?" Daria asked and he nodded quickly, his face even redder. "You got in trouble, didn't you?"

"I got paddled over it. Mom and Dad had a bad fight over that one. She thought I could control it. I learned how to do my own laundry after that."

Daria moved closer, lightly stroked his face and said, "I'm more worried about how fermented your clothes might be than about _that_. After all, I don't want to pass out from the smell."

Martin glanced up at her and gave her a weak smile. "I suggest that you wear a gas mask then."

**oooooooooo**

Martin and Daria were in Kathy's office one week later. The doctor made a notation in a record and looked at her patient. "Do you have any complaints, Martin?"

"Yes! I've got to get outside and do something! Being cooped up and stuck in this wheelchair is driving me nuts!"

Daria smiled. "That's not a very far drive at all, is it?" she asked.

Martin glanced at her, a sarcastic smile on his face. "Har dee har har," he said. "If it wasn't for my caregiver here, I would be nuts."

Daria looked at Kathy and mouthed, _He's already nuts._

The doctor chuckled and said, "O.K. It's been a week. I would give you two more weeks of being 'cooped' up, but I'll try letting you out on a trial basis. You may walk around, with your walking stick, but slowly. If I catch you running, or hear of you doing it, I'll take you off your feet for a month. Keep the wheelchair with you, because you may need it. Don't push yourself. If you feel tired, sit down and rest."

Martin looked relieved. "Thank you," he said. "You're a lifesaver, Kathy."

"I know," she said and smiled. "Why don't you go on out and give me a minute with Daria here. I need to talk with her alone."

The youth nodded and gave Daria a smile and a lingering look. "I'll be outside on the front step, honey."

She returned his look and smile. "I'll join you as soon as I'm done in here." He left the two women alone and Daria shut the door behind him. She looked warily at Benji, who had slept through the visit, so far. "This isn't going to be some 'You need to break up with Martin' talk, is it?" she asked. "If it is, then save your breath. I've already had three different people tell me that in the last week and I'm getting tired of hearing it."

Kathy looked at her in some surprise. "Do you know who they were?"

"One of Mrs. Johnson's friends, and a couple of women in their twenties."

The doctor put her left hand over her face and groaned. "I'll try to stop that," she said. "If I can. Actually, I wanted to talk with you about something much more important than that."

"Oh?"

"That stupid episode you two faced over the fight and 'morals' charge interrupted Martin's mourning process," Kathy said. "Has he cried any in the last week?"

Daria shook her head slowly. "No. He's avoided the subject as much as he could."

"I was afraid of that. He needs to cry some more. If he keeps it bottled up inside, he'll...break down. Or worse, he'll shut down into some fugue state. Right now, I doubt that he'll talk with Pastor Jack about anything. You are the closest person to him and I'm hoping that you can get him to open up."

The teen looked at Kathy in some shock and said, "That is very sad. Martin has attended this church his entire life! He grew up amongst you and I'm the closest person to him out of everyone here? I haven't even known him a month yet!"

Kathy sighed and sat down. "You don't understand, Daria. You really don't know how it was. We couldn't get close to him, not really. Especially no woman or girl could. Martha kept us all away - Christian or not." She looked away. "One time three years ago, I treated him for an injury. Martha accused me of...fondling him."

"What?" Daria asked. "That's unbelievable!"

"It really happened," the doctor said. "Forget the fact that I'm a happily married woman and would not risk my marriage, my career and my freedom for some cheap thrill with a 15-year-old boy. And if I was going to 'play around' with him, I sure wouldn't do it in front of her."

"Did you get in trouble?"

Kathy shook her head. "No. Her sister, Mary, happened to be there at the time. She turned on Martha, accused her of being dirty-minded and made her apologize to me. After that, I insisted that John accompany Martin for any exam."

Daria shook her head in disbelief. "I thought I had a strange childhood," she said. "I'll do what I can, but I won't force it."

The doctor stroked her chin and thought. "If you two go to his homeplace sometime, it might trigger a crying episode. If so, that will help."

"He's been wanting to go there."

**oooooooooo**

When Daria got outside, she found Martin standing up next to the wheelchair and using his walking stick. "How does it feel?" she asked.

"Great! It feels great to be outside and on my feet!" He smiled at her. "I'd like to go to home."

Daria smiled back at him and said, "I'll push the wheelchair. You can lay the bookbag in it."

"Nah, it's O.K. on my back. Let's walk."

The two walked slowly down the steps and through the parking lot. Daria watched him carefully and said, "You can sit down anytime and I'll push for awhile. Like Kathy told you, don't push it."

He stopped and took a deep breath. "I need to sit down," he finally said, took off the bookbag and carefully sat in the wheelchair. He then set the bag on his lap. "I never expected to get that tired that fast."

"You haven't done much walking this last week," she said. "It'll take time to build your strength back up."

Suddenly, they heard a voice from their right. "Peters!" They looked to see Odell's nephew, Tommy, in the brush off the road. His nose was deeply bruised and he glared at them. "You haven't seen the last of us, you son of a bitch! You or your cunt there will get a payback from us!"

Martin quickly drew his Glock from his shoulder holster, cocked it and aimed at the bully. Daria drew her .357, cocked it as well, and held it ready as she looked around for Tommy's companions.

"I shoot copperheads, Tommy," he said calmly. "If you happen to be where they are when I shoot, you will be killed."

"I'll tell my uncle about this!"

"You just remember that I never leave a copperhead wounded. I make sure that they're dead and then I hunt down the snake's companions. Especially if they happen to be named 'Odell'."

The bully ran off and Martin said, "Go ahead and holster your sidearm, Daria. I'll keep mine out until we get to my place."

Daria carefully lowered the hammer on the pistol and placed the weapon back into its holster. Then she pushed the wheelchair down the road again as Martin looked around and listened to the sounds of the woods.

**oooooooooo**

When they arrived at the burned remains of Martin's home, the couple stopped and Daria released the wheelchair. Martin got up and moved to the porch slowly. He looked over the ashes that covered the ground and the space where the house once stood.

Daria watched his face for any change of expression, but all he had was the numbed looked of shock.

Finally, he exhaled loudly, looked down and said, "Well, shit!"

She moved up to him and touched his right arm. "What do you want to do?" she asked.

He shook his head briefly, then said, "I...I have to sift through the ashes. Something _had_ to survive." He laughed bitterly. "It just can't all be gone."

"That can't be safe enough to go into," she pointed out. "The first floor's gone and you don't know what kind of hazards there are under all those ashes."

"Yeah, I know."

"It's just past three, Martin. Let's leave the house until tomorrow and check out the garage for anything else you need. But first, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment behind that bush and you need to stand guard." She pointed at a large rose bush behind the garage.

He looked at her, confused. "You don't need to do that."

"I have to pee, Martin. I can't hold it in too much longer."

"I meant that there's a bathroom in the garage."

Daria stared up at him and frowned. "We never saw it when we were here," she said. "Where is it?"

He smiled and lightly chuckled. "Along the back wall near the woodstove."

"I thought it was a closet since you had it locked up."

They walked together to the garage and he unlocked it and opened the door. She pushed the wheelchair inside and he followed, then shut and locked the door.

"Dad kept leaving the bathroom in here locked," he said and held up the key ring. "I don't know why. After awhile, I just got a copy of the key and never had to deal with that problem anymore."

He turned on the lights, slowly moved to the bathroom door and unlocked it. Then he opened the door, turned to Daria, bowed elegantly and said, "For you, m'lady."

She rolled his eyes, stepped inside the bathroom and shut the door behind her. 

**oooooooooo**

Martin looked at the bookbag in the wheelchair and rubbed his shoulder briefly. _Won't be as heavy going back_, he thought and sat down nearby on an old, apparently broken recliner. _I can sleep in the back of the truck with some sleeping bags. Cook my food on the woodstove or eat an MRE, sort out what I'll need to take with me when I do leave. Yeah, I can definitely stay here._ He smiled, leaned back and closed his eyes. _Now if Daria would stay here with me, too, that would be great._

**oooooooooo**

Daria washed her hands and looked around the bathroom carefully. It had a small shower stall, a hand sink and a toilet and nothing else.

She pulled her jacket off a hook on the door and watched as a quarter fell out of a pocket. It hit the floor and rolled under the sink. _Ah, leave it_, she thought as she reached for the door. She put on the jacket, then shook her head, squatted down and reached under the sink for the coin.

Something under the sink stuck out from the wall and she frowned. _What is that? _She touched it and her eyes widened. _Cardboard? Sticking out of the wall? _Then she pulled on it.

A panel suddenly opened and Daria looked inside a small cubbyhole and its contents. She sighed, closed her eyes and shook her head. _Martin, you have some explaining to do._

**oooooooooo**

Martin's eyes were still closed as he heard Daria come out of the bathroom. "Find everything O.K., honey?" he asked.

"I sure did," she said and moved beside him. "I have a question for you, _dear_."

"Uh, huh." Martin felt something hit his belly and he looked down at a box of condoms. "What-" he started to speak.

"Do you have some 'experiences' that you...haven't told the truth about?"

He stared at the condoms, his mouth opened in shock.

Then Daria laid a paperback book titled _The Wild Neighbor _on top of the condoms. The cover art showed a line drawing of a dark-haired woman, wearing only panties and high-heeled shoes, standing at an opened front door as a smiling mailman walked towards her. "If you are into this kind of...reading material...I want to know about it. After all, you did say that there were no secrets between us."

He blinked and sighed loudly.

"I also want to know about _all_ the other stashes you have here. If we're going to be a couple, I don't want you to keep things hidden from me."

He looked at her face and finally said, his voice weak, "This isn't mine. I've never seen these before in my life."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "If it's not yours, then who's is-" Suddenly the color drained from her face and she closed her eyes. _Martin's dad had his own stash. Dammit! You've done it this time, Morgendorffer!_

She looked at Martin, quickly knelt down at his side and said, "I'm sorry."

He looked at her and gave her a wry smile. "It's O.K. I...I've suspected something like this for awhile. I just didn't know for sure."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Martin held up the condoms. "Mom didn't believe in birth control," he said. "She considered it as bad as abortion. Apparently, Dad was prepared for the future. Or the present. I don't know. I really don't know." He tossed the paperback at a trashcan; it hit the side of the can and fell to the floor. "I don't want that, unless you want to keep it."

She stared at him. "No." She got up, walked over to the book and placed it inside the trashcan. Then she moved back to Martin.

"If my guess is right, Dad planned to leave Mom, probably after I graduated from high school." He took his left hand and touched her right shoulder. "It's something I never really talked about with him. I think he was afraid to tell me stuff, anyway. Afraid that I'd tell Mom about it."

"Would you've told on him?"

He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't have." A tear ran down his cheek and he looked down. "Dad always encouraged me to be a man." More tears ran from his eyes. "He really cared about what and how I did. I...I...I...oh, God..." He covered his face and started crying.

Daria moved onto his lap and pulled his head against her chest. "Go ahead and cry," she said and patted his back gently. "Let it out, Martin. Don't hold it in."

He wrapped his arms around her and bawled. They sat there quietly as he cried.

**oooooooooo**

After awhile, Martin's cries subsided and he leaned back into the recliner and Daria remained on his lap; her head rested on his left shoulder and she watched his face as he looked ahead. "You want to talk?" she asked.

He smiled, wiped his right eye and glanced at her. He kissed her briefly and asked, "You don't think that I should stay here, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, not yet. Not until I get my last shot." She wrapped her left arm behind his back. "I don't want to be alone at the church. I want you near me."

"Do you want to stay here with me when I move?"

Daria blinked and looked down at her jeans. "I'd like to, but I don't want to abandon Jane and Trent and his bunch at the church. I can't just leave them behind, Martin."

"I thought that Trent and Pam were going to leave before now."

She closed her eyes. "Jane's staying with me until I find out about my family. Trent and Pam decided to wait with her."

"I'd like to stay with you, too, Daria. I'll stay with you at the church."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you. You don't know how good that makes me feel. You see, I'm trying to avoid trouble at the church. I want to...say things, give my opinion...but I've been holding back. Part of my reluctance is out of respect to Kathy, Jimmy and the others who supported us. It was also out of respect to Glen, who helped us out in ways you don't even know about yet."

"There's something about Glen I'm not sure about," he said.

"He didn't put the moves on Jane," Daria said quickly. "So get that thought out of your mind right now."

"I know that." Martin laughed and kissed Daria's forehead. "You know, I remember Jenny and how nice she was. But I never made the connection between herself and Jane until I remembered seeing some of the church photos from the 60s and 70s."

"They just looked alike. Jane isn't some reincarnation."

"Oh, I know that. I know that. I remember that Jenny started the sweetheart banquets the church had every February. I worked at a couple of them as a server. It was so obvious that she and Glen were in love."

"Well, what is it about Glen that you're not sure about?" she asked. "Don't leave me in suspense."

He sighed and said quietly, "I think he killed Bruce Keever."

Daria looked away from Martin towards the Ford F-150 and closed her eyes. Then she asked, "What makes you think that?"

"He didn't like the way Bruce acted. He was mean, rude, treated Lisa like dirt and put the moves on some of the women and girls at the church. I heard once that he peeped in women's bedroom and bathroom windows. He suddenly disappeared about the time of the mushroom hunt. Glen was on that hunt that day."

_So was Jane, _she thought and said nothing.

"I think that Glen shot him and buried him out there in the woods."

"Would it bother you if he did?"

Martin shook his head. "Bruce was a lost cause. He hated the church and most of us there. If Glen didn't kill him, someone else there would have eventually."

**oooooooooo**

After awhile, the two got up and stretched. Daria looked at Martin's watch, saw that it was just a little before four and said, "I'm going to set some ground rules for the two of us to follow for when we're alone, so pay attention."

"Why do you get to set the rules?" Martin asked, a small smile on his face. "Don't I have a say in this?"

Daria returned his smile. "Of course, you do," she said. "When you can get pregnant, carry a baby in your belly for nine months, deal with the heartburn, backaches and urinary problems that go with it, then go through an unknown amount of time in labor, _then_ push something the size of a bowling ball out of your crotch, you will have a say, too."

Martin grimaced at the mental image that she put into his mind and said, "Uh, never mind."

"Don't mess with me," she said, the smile still on her face. She held up the condoms. "Just because we have these now does not mean that we can use them...yet."

"I understand that," he said. "It's still early in our relationship."

"Thank you, even if you are lying about wanting to wait. First, below the waist is off limits."

"You mean that I can't even give you a butt squeeze?"

Daria thought and nodded. "Sure, I have no problem with that. But my pants will stay on when you do it." She smiled wider and looked over her glasses. "Expect the same thing from me, _boyfriend_."

He thought for a second and said, "I like that."

"I'm not surprised. You already know that 'no' means 'no'. Well, 'stop' means 'stop' also. Here's a biggie. Don't tie me up. Ever."

"That one guy did that to you," he said.

"Actually, he forced Jane to do it at gunpoint." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Daria?"

"I'm O.K. I'm O.K. It's just an unpleasant memory. That's all."

Martin pulled her to him and hugged her. "I wish I was there to help you two out," he said.

"He would have killed you, Martin," she said and returned his hug. "He came damn close to killing us."

"Are there anymore rules?" he asked.

Daria went to a cabinet, opened it and pulled out two sleeping bags and said, "Let's go over what we _can_ do now."

**oooooooooo**

Daria and Martin laid facing each other in the back of the F-150, on top of two rolled out sleeping bags. Both were naked from the waist up, except that Daria still had her glasses on. "Did you enjoy yourself?" she asked as she ran her left index finger over his chest.

He poked her navel with his right index finger and then ran his hand up to her chest. He smiled and moved his face up to hers. "Oh, yeah." He kissed her. "How about you?"

She smiled and looked down. Then she looked back up at him and kissed him back, harder than he kissed her. When she pulled back, briefly, she asked, her voice a whisper, "What do you think?"

**oooooooooo**

At the Frederick County Fairgrounds in Maryland, a military convoy prepared to get underway. It was 2:30 that same afternoon.

In the lead vehicle, a muscular African-American Marine colonel sat in the front passenger seat and read over his orders again. _Secure and pacify Sector 14-A_, he thought and sighed. _Your base will be Carthage United Methodist Church. Your contact is named Glen Bates, a Marine combat veteran._

A tapping at his window brought him out of his reading and he rolled down the window. A young female Army private saluted him and, when he returned the salute, she said, "Major Miller asked me to give you this, Colonel Armalin."

"New orders?"

"I don't know, sir. All I know is that the message came straight from General Simpson's office."

_Damn, not another Simpson-gram. _He sighed and nodded. "Thank you, soldier. Dismissed."

The soldier ran back to where she had came from and Armalin read the message.

"_Colonel Armalin, please wait for a civilian passenger who will ride with you to Carthage, West Virginia. Major Miller will escort her personally. Thank you, Gen. Simpson."_

"Problem, Colonel?" a captain asked from the back of the van.

"No, John, we just have to wait for a civilian hitchhiker." _Simpson agreed to a civilian hitchhiker? Right, and I'm the King of Siam, too._

"That's unusual, sir," the sergeant behind the wheel said. "We're not supposed to give rides to hitchhikers."

"Hey, you know how it is. The general gives us orders and we just follow them, no matter how silly they sometimes are." He shook his head. "Apparently this civilian has some pull to get Gen. Simpson to allow it."

Then they saw two figures, Major Miller and a woman in a long jacket with a dark hat, approach the van with three suitcases. Armalin rolled his eyes and said, "Good afternoon, Nathan. Are you sure you have all her luggage?"

The Army major glanced at the woman, who nodded and got into the back of the van. He put the suitcases in with her and shut the door. Then, he looked at Col. Armalin and asked, "Did you get to read my report on the Carthage area, sir?"

"Yes, I did," he said. "Repelled a raid, the neighboring village wasn't so lucky, and so on. I also read the blog from 'Forever Kristie'."

The major looked confused. "I'm afraid that I missed that one."

"Apparently the church tried to punish a couple of teens for sex and it backfired." The Marine sighed. "Looks like I'll have to show this church what the fear of God _really _means."

The civilian in the back spoke up. "Excuse me, but did that blog identify the teens?"

"No, ma'am," Armalin said. "All I know is that under both West Virginia _and _Maryland state laws, they're adults. We just have to remind these church elders that normal state laws still apply, except when they conflict with the administration of martial law."

Major Miller saluted Armalin and the salute was returned. "I'll let you go, sir. Best of luck to you."

"Thank you, Major." He rolled up the window and said, "O.K., sergeant, let's get underway." He turned back towards the civilian and added, "Provided we don't run into complications, ma'am, we should be in Carthage within a couple of hours."

The woman nodded and pulled the front of her hat down over her face.


	34. Chapter 34

"I have a question for you," Martin said as he ran the fingers of his right hand through Daria's hair.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked as she rested her chin on his chest. She laid atop him and moved her right index finger over his neck and the still-healing shoulder injury.

"I once asked you to be my girlfriend," he said, "and you turned me down. But here we are, in the back of my truck. We just made out, we're a couple and it feels as if we've always been together, even though it really hasn't been that long. What changed? How did I win you?"

She said nothing, but moved her face and kissed his chest. After several seconds, she asked, "Do you remember what I said to you at Glen's spring house after you asked me to be your girlfriend?"

"You told me to stop putting myself down."

Daria nodded and smiled. "I also told you not to try so hard. Your actions after that watch helped to win me over."

Martin looked confused and said, "I don't quite understand what you mean."

She moved her face and kissed another spot on his chest. "You became a true friend. You never pestered me to be your girlfriend, you never pressured me and you never put me on the spot."

"There was what happened on the hunt," he pointed out.

She laughed shortly and smiled at him. "That was Jane's doing, not yours. But even when I kissed you for saving my life, you never pestered me. You obviously liked the kiss, but you respected my wishes. You scored big with me then."

"Did you like kissing me then?"

She moved up and kissed his lips then, hard. Then she broke the kiss and asked, "Does that answer your question? I slowly found myself wanting to be near you. The day I asked to borrow one of your books? I was so nervous after I asked you that, I couldn't think straight."

"You seemed real calm to me."

"I wasn't...until I got to be with you. Kissing you then felt so natural." She kissed him again. "It still does. Do you know what's really funny, though?"

"What?" he asked.

"At one time, being this intimate with someone would have scared me to death." She laughed briefly and added, "I'm still a little scared as it is."

"So am I," he said quietly. He ran both hands up her sides to her armpits, then moved them behind her back.

"Oh? What are you scared of, Martin?"

"Part of me is afraid that my...lack of experience...will upset you."

Daria blinked, shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she looked back at him, she smiled and said, "You silly boy. I'm not that experienced, either, you know." She kissed his chest again. "That's the same thing I'm afraid of." She smiled at him. "Besides, we're not going all the way...yet...despite someone being very ready right now."

Martin blushed and said, "I can't help that!"

"Uh, huh," she said and moved her body off of his. Then she moved her face over his and smirked at him. "Do you need to go to the bathroom and...take care of something?"

"No!" he said, blushed even deeper, then looked away.

Daria laughed gently and laid the side of her head on his chest. "I'll just listen to your heartbeat right now. See how long it takes for you to calm down."

**oooooooooo**

The convoy numbered 30 vehicles total. The van containing Colonel Armalin and his party was third in line behind a covered jeep and an armored personnel carrier.

In the back of the van, the civilian lifted her hat and stared at the Marines with her. She cleared her throat and said, "Colonel, I have a question for you."

Armalin turned back to look at the woman and sighed. They had just left the fairgrounds and he had hoped that she wouldn't pester him too much. _So much for that. _"Yes," he said patiently, "what is it?"

"Why is the military interfering with church...policies and procedures?"

His expression darkened and the officers and enlisted personnel with him became very uneasy. He bit back his retort, however. _It doesn't pay to tick off someone that close to Simpson._

He blinked and said, "Ten days ago, we were sent to Hammersville, Pennsylvania, population 155, to secure the area, When we got there we found two women hanging from a tree in front of the post office. They each had a sign that read "QUEER" around their necks. They were condemned and executed because they were lesbians."

"My God!" the woman exclaimed.

"We cut the women down," Armalin continued. "One died within a few minutes - too much oxygen cut off and she went into shock. The other survived, however, and she told us a lot of things. She and her lover had been raped repeatedly by several of the men the night before their scheduled executions. She was able to identify all of their assailants."

"That's horrible!" she said.

"Oh, yes. It is," he said. "Apparently, from Black Saturday until we showed up, some 20 people were executed by the church at Hammersville. Several were actual criminals - murderers, raiders - even an arsonist caught in the act. But eight of the condemned had committed no crimes under existing state or federal laws. Three were alcoholics, one 21-year-old girl was an exotic dancer, and another woman was a Tarot card reader. Two others had been involved in an extramarital affair. The last one was a male homosexual."

"I had no idea it was like that out there," she said.

"I still see those girls in my dreams," he said, "swinging from the branches, their feet kicking. It was nobody's business but their own and one of them died for it. The other one almost died. They had been together for five years." He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "Needless to say, I was furious. Those church leaders quoted chapter and verse from the Bible telling me how the girls should die and how that their blood would have been on their own hands because of their sin. I quoted to them from the Uniform Code of Military Justice, before we convened a tribunal, tried and condemned their so-called leadership for their crimes and executed them."

Armalin waited for that to sink in and added, "There have been at least a dozen such instances in a 100-mile radius from Fort Detrick since Black Saturday. That doesn't even count the separatist movements we've had to put down. We've been accused of interfering with the freedom of worship. That's not true, because your right to worship is the same as it always has been.

"Now I read on a blog from a young member of Carthage United Methodist Church that two teens got in trouble for supposed hanky-panky in the church. Normally I wouldn't give a hoot in hell about that. Let the church handle their own problems. But this place is my next assignment and if I happen to find two teens murdered because the boy screwed his girlfriend...I'm going to be very unpleasant."

"Nothing may have happened," the woman said.

"The blog did say that the teens had their punishment stopped by the congregation. Maybe I'm wrong about what they're doing. I hope so. I truly hope so. But a big part of our job now is to kick some of these people in the ass and remind them that this is still the United States of America and that they are still bound by _its_ laws."

**oooooooooo**

Daria and Martin sat in an embrace as they kissed. He held her shoulders firmly, while she ran her hands over his back.

After several seconds, Martin moved his lips to her neck and kissed her there several times.

Daria squirmed slightly and giggled. "You're tickling me," she said.

He kept kissing her there and her squirms intensified.

"I'm going to kick your ass if you don't stop!" she threatened and laughed. "It'll take me all day, too, cause I won't know where to start!"

He pulled back and gave her a guilty look. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No, you aren't."

He smiled, said, "You're right," and moved his head to her belly and kissed her again. He moved his hands there as well and tickled her in earnest.

Daria laughed as she grabbed at his hands. "You'll regret it if you don't stop!"

**oooooooooo**

The convoy passed two armed guards who simply gawked at the vehicles as they passed. They stopped at the church a couple of minutes later and Armalin smiled as the members rushed out of the building. Several APCs swarmed around the building and machine guns were aimed in the skies near the church. _Nothing like a good, old-fashioned show of power to let people know where they stand._

"Are you trying to frighten these people, Colonel?" the civilian in the back asked.

"We're at your destination, ma'am," he said with forced politeness and ignored her question. "Do you require help with your luggage?"

"No," she said. "I see someone I know." One of the Marines opened the door for her and stood back as she got out.

The woman removed her hat, waved and yelled, "JANE! OVER HERE!"

Jane Lane had come outside with the others. When she saw who was waving, she paled and staggered back.

"Who is it?" Danny asked as he held her steady.

"She's alive. She's actually alive."

"Who? Who is it?"

"Daria's mom." Jane pushed her way through the crowd and grabbed Helen Morgendorffer in a tight and uncharacteristic hug. The older woman returned the hug just as tightly. "We thought you were dead! We thought you were dead!"

"Where's Daria? Where's my little girl?" She broke the hug and looked around for Daria.

Jane closed her eyes. _Uh, oh. _"She's at her boyfriend's place."

"Her boyfriend? She has a boyfriend?"

Danny came up beside Jane and she said, "It's a very long story, Mrs. M. It's better if Daria tells you about it." She looked at Helen and noted that there was more gray in her hair and a couple more lines in her face. There was also a hardness to her, one that she, Daria and Trent also had now.

Several feet away, Rev. Harris and the deacons met with Col. Armalin. Based on the Marine's expression and the church officers' discomfort, it was apparent that the meeting was going very awkwardly.

Helen looked at Jane quietly, then saw Trent as he walked up. She noted the woman with him and the two little girls and her eyes flared briefly. "Trent," she said evenly.

Trent blinked twice, cleared his throat and said, "Mrs. Morgendorffer."

Jane noted their reactions to each other and saw that Pam noticed as well. _What was that about? I'll have to ask Trent._

Helen then looked at Jane and said, "There were two teens here put on trial here for having sex. Who were they? Were either of them anyone I know?"

Jane paled. _How does she know about that? _"Uh, I'd rather not say."

"So it was you, huh?"

"No!" Jane closed her eyes and groaned. _Daria's going to kill me._

Helen gave the teen a brief smile, then frowned. "So it _was_ Daria. Looks like I have some things to take care of here. Take me to her, Jane. Now." She glanced at Trent and added, "Watch my baggage for me, if you will, Trent."

"Uh, O.K.," he said quickly as the two walked off, followed by Danny.

**oooooooooo**

Martin held his crotch as he gently rocked back and forth and said, "I'm sorry."

"Did I hurt you?" Daria asked.

"You punched me in the balls. What do you think?"

"I did tell you to stop."

He closed his eyes and said, "I won't tickle you anymore."

She gently grabbed his hands and pulled them to her. "You _can_ tickle me, but it has to be brief." She kissed his hands. "Are you going to be O.K.?"

"I think so."

She kissed him and moved her mouth to his left ear. "I'm sorry."

He laughed and kissed her left ear. "I thought that below the waist was off limits."

"One thing that you should always remember about me, Martin. I can void the rules at any time, for my benefit."

**oooooooooo**

"You say that Daria is alone with this...Martin?" Helen, Jane and Danny walked fast down the road towards the Peters homestead.

Jane winced at the question. _Daria is going to kill me very badly._ _I am in such deep shit. _"Yes."

Helen's expression took on a very concerned look. "Let's hurry then. I don't want my daughter and _her lover_ losing control of their emotions; she may be smart, but he can still end up taking advantage of her and getting her pregnant."

**oooooooooo**

Daria laid against Martin and caressed his chest as he laid there with his eyes closed. "You better not fall asleep," she said.

He reached behind her and grabbed her butt. "It's too early to sleep," he replied and they kissed.

The sound of someone outside reached their ears and they automatically grabbed their pistols, sat up and cocked their weapons.

"Daria!" Jane's voice reached them from the outside. "It's me, Jane! Open up! Your --"

"What does she want?" Martin asked as Jane spoke.

"Shut up," Daria said. "I can't hear her."

"--on, Daria, open the door!"

Daria carefully released the hammer on her Colt, holstered it and climbed down out of the truck. She grabbed Martin's flannel shirt and put it on, but didn't button it.

"That's kind of daring, isn't it?" he asked.

"It's just Jane," she replied. "She knows that we're...somewhat intimate." She blew a kiss at him. "She knows that I like you...just a little bit."

Martin smiled and blew a kiss back at her. "I wonder what she wants."

Daria shrugged. "I told her not to interrupt us, unless they're fixing pizza at the church." She walked to the door, unlocked and opened it.

He then heard Daria scream, turned and stared as his girlfriend tightly embraced an older woman and cried suddenly. Then he remembered seeing the picture from Daria's purse. _That's Daria's mom, _he thought and looked down at his bare chest. _Daria has nothing on under my shirt. I am so screwed._

Almost as if on cue, Helen looked at Martin, saw his half-dressed state and ran her right hand over her daughter's back. She glared at him through narrowed eyes, then she embraced Daria and cried as well.

_Yep, I am definitely screwed. _He looked at Jane and Danny. She smiled weakly at him, and her face was very red. He smiled, however, and his face conveyed the message, _Better you than me, dude._

Finally, Daria's cries subsided and she pulled back from Helen. She took off her glasses, wiped her eyes and asked, her voice fearful and trembling, "Mom, what about Dad and Quinn? Are they...?"

Helen looked down and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, sweetie. They're gone." She nearly broke down, but recovered and pulled herself together. "Quinn and her friends all died at the mall, and your father..." She sobbed once. "...your father suffered a massive heart attack and died in my arms that night. We thought that you and Jane were in Washington and were...dead. We went after Quinn to save her, but the police wouldn't let anyone go south of Lawndale. One of the officers told us that she heard the mall simply...collapsed...from the shock wave."

Daria's chin quivered and she hugged Helen again. The two held each other and cried even more.

Finally, Daria stopped crying and pulled her mother into the garage. "Mom, I want you to meet my boyfriend."

Helen pulled open the shirt Daria wore and saw her bared breasts. "Daria..."

Daria suddenly became aware of her own half-dressed state, blushed and quickly pulled the shirt together.

Martin debated hiding, but instead climbed out of the truck carefully and stood still in front of them. _You're a man now_, he heard his father's voice speak in his mind as he blushed as well. _Stand tall like a man._

Helen's gaze went from her embarrassed daughter to her boyfriend. She watched him as he put on his white T-shirt.

Daria led her to him and said, a weak smile on her face, "Mom, this is Martin Peters. Martin, this is my mother, Helen Morgendorffer."

His blush seemed to intensify as he held out his right hand. She gave him her right hand as well and they shook hands politely. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

"I'm sure it is," she said, her gaze locked on his eyes.

"I see where Daria gets her beauty from."

Daria winced, Helen raised one eyebrow as she stared at him and Jane suppressed a laugh.

_Lame, Peters, lame. I am so very definitely screwed._

"Young man," Helen said and gripped his hand tightly. "What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

Martin was surprised by the strength in her hand and gasped.

"Mom...?" Daria said.

Helen then saw the box of condoms on the recliner. Her eyes widened and suddenly her left hand was at his throat. She quickly backed him up to the truck, pushed him against it and squeezed his throat hard. "What are you doing to my little girl? What kind of sweet talk are you using on her to get her in bed with you?"

Martin gasped, and tried to speak, but the older woman's hand cut off his words.

Daria grabbed Helen's hand and pried it off of his throat. "Mom, please! Nothing happened! Nothing happened!"

Helen calmed herself down, turned to Jane and Danny, and said, "Would you two excuse us, please? The three of us need to talk awhile."

Jane looked at Daria and said, "We'll be at the church, _amiga_. If you're not back in an hour, we'll come for you." The two left and shut the door behind them.

Helen turned to Daria, who now stood by Martin. "Nothing happened? Your tits are bare under this man's shirt!" She looked in the back of the truck and saw the messed up sleeping bags. "Nothing happened, Daria? You two had your shirts off! You were alone in a garage, laying in the back of a pickup truck, making out. How can you say nothing happened?"

"We didn't have intercourse, Mom!" Daria said quickly.

"Oh, did you screw in the church instead? Or outside?"

"Mom!"

"Mrs. Morgendorffer," Martin said, "Daria and I have never had intercourse, here or anywhere else. We've discussed that and set limits for ourselves."

Daria's eyes filled with tears. "Mom, I thought you were dead as well. I thought that I was alone in the world. I...I was making my own decisions and...and taking charge of my life." She sniffled. "Please, don't be mad at us. Martin and I are very conscious of our decisions and our actions."

Helen's expression softened. "Daria, would you give...Martin... his shirt back and put on your bra and shirt? Please?"

Daria quietly removed Martin's flannel shirt and handed it to him, then put on her bra and T-shirt. Martin buttoned up his own shirt and smiled as Daria moved up beside him and put her left arm around him.

"Mom, Martin and I are not going to take any unnecessary chances."

Helen noticed the pistol and holster Daria wore, sighed and said, "I just don't want you two to do something you'll regret later."

Daria said, "Martin saved my life, Mom." 

"Daria saved my life as well," he said. "When we were raided, I was shot. Not only did she stop the bleeding, but she protected me until help could reach us. I owe her my life." He put his arm around Daria's shoulders and added, "I love Daria, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

"I love Martin, too, Mom."

Helen looked from one to the other and gave them a small smile. "Sweetie," she said to Daria, "I want you to know that whatever you decide to do, I'll support you. But please, be careful." She looked at Martin. "I apologize for choking you."

"It's O.K.," he said. "I understand."

Daria moved up to her and hugged her.

Helen was briefly taken aback, but returned the hug. "You normally wouldn't hug me this quickly," she said.

"Times aren't normal anymore, Mom," Daria said from her shoulder. "I'm your daughter and I'm proud of it."

"I'd like to meet your parents, Martin." She saw the teen pale and asked, "What? What is it?"

Daria broke the hug. "His parents are dead, Mom. We'll talk about it."

"Where did you get your pistol, Daria? It looks...big."

"It's a long story. I've got a whole lot to tell you about. Let's head back to the church. They should have supper done and we can talk there."

The three left the garage.


	35. Chapter 35

(Five days before the Marine convoy arrived at Carthage, West Virginia.)

Helen Morgendorffer sat at the table in the makeshift cafeteria in what was called "The Women's Building" at the Frederick County Fairgrounds. She sipped a cup of coffee and read the same paper for the fiftieth time since it was given to her nearly 30 minutes before.

_Daria Morgendorffer, age 17, of Lawndale, Maryland, currently located at Carthage United Methodist Church Rescue Center, Carthage, West Virginia._

_Jane Lane, age 17, of Lawndale, Maryland, currently located at Carthage United Methodist Church Rescue Center, Carthage, West Virginia._

She sighed and closed her eyes. Quietly, she wiped her right eye and sniffled. _What in God's name are they doing in West Virginia? _Then she laughed briefly. _Who the hell cares? They're alive, and I'm not alone anymore._

"Helen," a male voice said and she looked up suddenly into the face of Jim Vitale, senior partner of Vitale, Horowitz, Riordan, Schrecter, Schrecter and Schrecter. Now, he currently worked as senior civilian aide to Gen. Simpson, though how he pulled that one off, she had no idea.

"Mr. Vitale," she said and stood up.

"Please, Helen, call me Jim. No need for formalities between coworkers." He put his left arm around her shoulders and led her to the office hallways. "I've found you a ride to the rescue center at Carthage. The only problem is that it won't be ready for another five days. We have a Marine convoy that will go into the area to secure it and General Simpson has given you the O.K. to ride along."

Helen was aware that Jim Vitale had little, if any, empathy for anyone besides himself, so she was initially leery of accepting the favor. "What can I do to pay you back for this?" she asked.

To her shock, he laughed heartily and shook his head. "This is a freebie, Helen. During your time at the firm, you helped keep that asshat Schrecter from screwing up too much, so _I _owed _you_. Unfortunately, it would have taken a dozen lawyers to cover all his mistakes." Then he gave her a shrewd smile. "You're a good lawyer, but I have no idea when the situation will settle down where we can have lawsuits galore again. Before you leave, see my secretary and she'll give you a letter of recommendation from me. That should help you get into most any law firm in the U.S. and Canada. There are still untouched areas in this hemisphere where law firms do what nature intended for them to do: Get lawyers rich." He laughed again and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have an executive meeting to attend in five minutes."

"Thank you, Jim."

He squeezed her left shoulder firmly and said, "Think nothing of it. Drop a line when you get settled down." He walked off and disappeared through one door.

Helen sighed in relief. She half expected to feel one of his hands on her butt or a breast, but remembered that he was screwing that nurse who helped take care of him when he got sick. _What is her name again? Nan or Ann? Eh, whatever. _She walked back to the cafeteria.

**oooooooooo**

(After the Marine convoy arrived at Carthage)

As Jane took Helen to meet and have an encounter with Daria and Martin, Col. Armalin got acquainted with the leadership of Carthage United Methodist Church.

Col. Armalin approached the group of four men who stood out from the rest of the congregation and said, "I take it that you're Reverend Harris and the church deacons?" Without waiting for a confirmation, he continued, "My name is Colonel Kyle Armalin. I and my Marines will be based out of your church for the next three weeks. Our main purpose is security, which is the first step to returning this area to a somewhat normal state. My first question to you is this: Where is Mr. Glen Bates?"

The preacher and the deacons looked at each other in some shock. Finally, Rev. Harris said, "I'm sorry, Colonel, but he's dead."

A look of shock also crossed Armalin's face and he turned to his aide. "Captain Lewis, was there any mention of _that_ in Forever Kristie's blogs?"

"No, sir," the aide replied. "We did, however, discover a three-day space where the posted blogs were lost due to unknown reasons. It picked back up right at the 'sex' incident."

"Who's 'Forever Kristie'?" Odell Jones asked loudly.

Armalin turned to the deacon and looked at him. "If my guess is right, you're Mr. Odell Jones. Forever Kristie described you as somewhat loud and obnoxious, as well as mean."

The deacon blushed and glared at Jimmy Smith, who had smiled at the insult. "I said, who's 'Forever Kristie'?"

"You mean you don't know?" Armalin smiled and suppressed a laugh. "That makes sense, because if you did, you would have shut her down by now. 'Forever Kristie' is one of your teenagers who has posted blogs from this area for more than a year. The events of Black Saturday shut her down, but suddenly a week later, she was posting again, with details of the events and happenings of your church and rescue center. After Major Miller made his visit here, we used her blogs to connect the dots on what he and his officers had learned."

"How could she post?" Jimmy Smith asked. "The phone service has been down since Black Saturday."

Armalin looked confused briefly and said, "Phone service in West Virginia was totally restored within a week of Black Saturday. At least that was what the governor's office in Charleston reported to General Simpson."

Dawning realization hit the younger deacon; he looked at everyone and said, "Excuse me, I'm going to check something out." He ran back inside the church.

"One thing I do want to make clear right now," Armalin said, his voice taking on a hard edge. "I don't care how you run your church and rescue center. Excommunicate whoever you want, because as long as you follow your church's and denomination's rules, it isn't my business. But there will be no exiles, no confinements, no isolated watches, no beatings and no executions done by you or any other people within this church body. Crimes committed in this area will be handled under the conditions of martial law until the situation resolves enough for your state and county officials to take back over."

"I think it's sad that you have to talk to us as if we've done something wrong," Rev. Harris said.

"I and my Marines have already buried five people who were executed by churches for 'moral' crimes, Reverend. We treated more than two dozen who were beaten or near death as a result of their 'moral' crimes. What else were you going to do to..." He consulted a paper. "...'John and Jane Doe' besides the sentences you gave them for 'sex'? Oh, excuse me, I meant for the fight in which they defended themselves against three bullies?"

The three men blushed and the preacher said, "The congregation overturned their sentences. They got no punishment, other than their embarrassment. We're not savages."

"I didn't say you were," Armalin said. "Most of the churches in this section of the country have responded excellently to this crisis. They've been the first line of defense against anarchy and lawlessness. I'm sorry if I seem judgmental, but the few 'bad' churches I and my fellow unit commanders have encountered have led us to expect the worst wherever we go."

Armalin turned to a U.S. Navy commander behind him and said, "This is Commander Lawson, our chaplain. He will serve as a liason between you and our unit. He, and Chief Fenton, our senior corpsman, will work with you on finding out what is needed to help maintain this shelter and rehabilitate this area. We also have a company of Navy Seabees with us to help you in rebuilding some of the damaged areas. Keep in mind, however, that there is a limited amount of building supplies, so some of the work will be...makeshift at best. Do you have any questions?"

The preacher looked at the deacons and they shook their heads. "I have one. Will you be dining with us during your stay?"

"Not unless we are invited," Armalin said. "We bring our own food with us and keep our own supplies. Most of the areas we deal with are usually low on food and we don't want to make the local situations worse. That is why two of the tractor-trailer trucks we brought with us has food and other necessities for the people staying in this church and the surrounding area. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'd like to talk with my people." He took the Navy chaplain aside and said in a quieter voice, "Chaplain, I'd like you to evaluate these church leaders - especially the one named Odell Jones. Forever Kristie detailed some disturbing stories about him and I would like your assessment of him and his character."

"Can do, Colonel," the Navy officer said with a smile.

Armalin turned to a female corpsman in BDUs and said, "Doc, I'd like you to confer with..." He consulted the paper again. "...Dr. Kathy Wilson and find out how her supplies are holding up and see what she is in need of. To my knowledge she is the only doctor within a 10- or 15-mile radius, so let's try to give her as much help as we can."

"Sure thing, sir," she said.

"Let's get to work then."

**oooooooooo**

Jimmy Smith returned outside and joined the other leaders of the church as the Marines moved around. "Our phones work, just like they always have," he said.

"What happened?" Odell asked.

"Every one of them were disconnected from their wall jacks. Some of them were plugged into dummy wall jacks - basically just something stuck to the wall to simulate a connected phone."

"Is there a computer plugged into any one of them right now?" Rev. Harris asked.

"No," the younger deacon said. "My guess is that this 'Forever Kristie' writes her blog offline and only goes online long enough to post what she writes and download her messages and replies."

Odell sighed and looked towards the crowd of people as they watched the Marines. "We've had several people using laptop computers here since Black Saturday," he said. "I'll check up on who our young 'friend' could be."

"It's not important, Odell," Rev. Harris said. "Let it be."

The deacon said nothing, but he thought, _Loud and obnoxious, huh? I'll show her what loud, obnoxious and mean __**really **__are._

**oooooooooo**

After Jane and Danny arrived back at the church, she made a beeline for Trent and saw Pam waiting for her.

"Do you know what that was about?" the older woman asked.

"You mean that business between Trent and Daria's mom?" Jane asked.

"Yes."

"Not yet, but I'm going to find out."

They cornered Trent as he still guarded Helen's suitcases. He looked at them as if he was a deer in the headlights. Jane crossed her arms over her chest and said, "O.K., Trent, spill it."

"What?" he asked.

"You know what," Pam said. "When Daria's mom showed up, there was some...shall we say, 'signal,' between you two. So, what happened?"

"Yeah, there was something _different_ about the way both of you acted," Jane added.

"Nothing different about it," he said quickly and looked away briefly. "Nothing at all. I acted the same way towards her as I've always acted."

"Yeah," Jane said, sarcasm evident on her voice. "Right." She looked at Danny, who waited for her and turned back to Trent. "This isn't finished. We will talk about this again."

Pam moved in front of him and put her face just a few inches in front of his. "I'm not giving up that easily," she said. "What happened?"

"Nothing, babe. I promise. I was just startled to see her. I thought that she was dead, really."

"You're sure about that?"

"Babe, there's nothing going on. I was just startled. That's all."

Pam said nothing else, but her expression showed her skepticism.

**oooooooooo**

As the three walked to the driveway from the garage, Daria noticed that Martin's limp became more pronounced. "Martin," she said, "you need to get in your wheelchair."

"I can make it to the top of the hill," he said and took a couple of deep breaths. "Wait until then."

She stared at him and asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah. That way you won't have to strain yourself too much. After all, I'm not exactly a sack of potatoes."

"I'm not going to say exactly what you're a sack of, potato boy," Daria said.

"Ha, ha."

Helen looked at him as the two talked. She asked, "How did you hurt your ankle, Martin?"

Daria and Martin looked at each other for a few seconds, then he said, "I nearly fell off a cliff several days ago."

"What?"

"I caught myself with a tree root," he said quickly, "but in the process, I twisted my ankle and smashed my left hand." He held up the hand for her to look at it. "After that, Daria and I were...attacked by bullies in the church and one of them broke it in the fight."

Helen winced when she saw that his left thumb had no thumbnail. "Why were you on the cliff?"

Martin felt one of Daria's hands clamp onto his upper arm and he smiled at her. She returned his smile as he said, "It's a good lookout point. I slipped on an incline."

"Why did those bullies attack you?"

He sighed and looked away from her. "They've bullied me on and off since elementary school, and with my parents dead, they felt that they could 'get' me without anyone stopping them. Daria stood with me against them. They found out that we weren't pushovers. I broke one bully's nose and Daria broke another's shin."

"My boots send a message," Daria added. "I can kick hard. Two of them found that out quickly. The one with his leg and one I kicked between the legs." Then she added, "We're at the top of the hill, Martin. Sit in the chair."

He obeyed and sighed loudly.

"That was the incident where you two were actually punished for sex, wasn't it?" Helen asked. "Even though you say that it never happened."

Daria stopped and both teens looked at her suddenly as a blush covered both of their faces. "How do you know about _that_?" Daria asked, her tone angry. "I'm going to kick Jane's ass for this."

"Calm down, Daria, I knew about it before I ever came here. One of the church members here has a blog and told about the 'trial.' She's somewhat of a celebrity out in the undamaged areas."

"You mean the Internet is still up?" Martin asked. "I thought it went down on Black Saturday."

"Some areas lost it after the bombings," Helen said, "and a lot of servers failed on Black Saturday. It's not at a hundred percent, but it is still online."

"But the phones have been out since then," he said. "Both cellular and land lines."

Helen shook her head. "Apparently you have a live phone line somewhere, because she's been posting for nearly a month. Someone at the Frederick County Fairgrounds said that she's also been posting for almost a year before the start of the war."

Daria stopped and slapped her right hand onto her forehead. "Great. Just great. Details of my personal life are now someone's entertainment. Why doesn't someone just make a cartoon about me and my loved ones?"

Helen glanced at her daughter. "Don't be silly, sweetie. Besides, she didn't use any real names on that post." They started walking again.

"Mrs. Morgendorffer?" Martin said. "To answer something I know you're thinking about, Daria and I never had sexual intercourse. That 'charge' against us was done deliberately, though I can't prove it, so that someone else could get Daria alone."

"Why would someone..." Helen started to ask, then paled. She looked at Daria.

"One of the church deacons called me 'forbidden fruit,'" Daria added.

"How many people heard him say that?" Helen asked quickly.

"He said it to me when I was on my restriction," Martin said. "Nobody else heard it. But he emphasized that she was going to be all alone for 12 hours, under his supervision. I caught his meaning clear enough."

"I believe Martin," Daria said. "When the doctor decided that I needed a check-up instead of going on that watch, this same deacon freaked out. He was...eager to get me out there alone."

A fire seemed to light in Helen's eyes as she listened to the two teens speak.

"I called him down in front of the congregation," Martin then said. "But I still expect a problem from him and those bullies at some point. One of the bullies is his nephew and _he_ already threatened us earlier this afternoon."

"That bastard called me a...cunt," Daria said, a frown on her face.

"I'm here now, Daria," Helen said, a look of fury on her face. She pulled a .45-caliber Colt M1911A1 out of its holster and held it in her right hand. "Let them try something." She holstered the weapon and then said, "Martin, I'm going to change the subject and I'm sorry if this seems personal, but how did your parents die?"

"Uh, Mom-?" Daria started to speak.

"It's O.K., Daria, it's O.K." He cleared his throat and added, "Mom...had problems, bad problems. She shot Dad, torched our home and left him in it to die. She also killed our retired pastor and shot another woman. She...tried to kill Daria, too."

Helen looked shocked. "Why did she try to kill Daria?"

Daria looked at her and said, "She blamed me for leading her son astray from being a preacher."

Martin added, "That...particular deacon I mentioned earlier? He shot Mom before she could shoot Daria, but she escaped from the church and later died in the woods from a dog attack." He closed his eyes and shook his head briefly.

Helen looked at the young man in shock and exhaled loudly. She gently touched his right shoulder and said, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," he replied. "Mom couldn't accept that my plans for my life were very different from hers. Mrs. Morgendorffer?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for your loss as well. Your loss and Daria's loss."

"Thank you."

"But today is also a day to celebrate," he added, "for you two have found one another."

Daria and Helen looked at one another and smiled as they moved on.

**oooooooooo**

At the church, Jane approached and said, "I see that Martin's still alive."

Helen smiled sweetly at her. "Now, Jane, why wouldn't he be alive? I'm not a violent person, you know."

"You had your hand around his throat earlier."

"Oh, that was just a misunderstanding. Jane, could you take care of Martin for a minute or two? I need to talk with Daria in private."

The taller girl got behind the wheelchair and gripped the handles. As she rolled him away, she said, "Let's figure out a way to get Daria's goat."

"I didn't know that Daria had a goat," he said.

"You're hopeless, Martin. She does have a goat and he's sitting in a wheelchair right now."

"Oh, that's just a b'aad joke, Jane."

"Yeah, yeah."

Daria turned from their banter, smiled and shook her head. "What's up, Mom?" she asked.

Helen looked at her uncertainly, then spoke. "Martin's a nice guy, Daria,..."

"...but..." Daria added. 

"...but are you ready for a romantic relationship with a young man who has such...such emotional baggage...as he does?"

Daria looked away from her mother for several seconds. "Mom, all of us have emotional baggage, especially since Black Saturday. We were raided not too long ago, and the church lost three people in it. A lot of others were injured, Martin included. He saved my life that day, and I saved his, as well. The church in the next village was overrun and nearly 100 died there. Just ask Jane about that one. She was one of the people who found them after that...raid."

She moved up to Helen, looked at her weakly and laid her head against her mother's right shoulder. Helen moved her arms around Daria's back and held her still.

"I've been through a lot since Black Saturday, Mom," Daria said. "When I thought that you were dead as well as Dad and Quinn, I...I was ready to kill myself. I thought that I was totally alone. I haven't told Jane or Martin about that, but I think they knew, anyway. Both of them stood by me and held me up. They let me know that I _wasn't_ alone."

"Martin has a different agenda for you than Jane does, sweetie."

"At that time, we weren't involved, Mom. I had turned him down when he asked me to be his girlfriend and he respected my wishes. When I...moved on him, it caught him by surprise." She smiled at the memory of his look when she sat on his lap and kissed him.

"_You_ moved on _him_?" Helen asked.

Daria smiled and said, "Yes, I did. Martin knew how shy I was and pointed that out. I told him that I had to change how I was. If I stayed the same shy and quiet teenage girl I was...back then, I would probably die in a very violent way. We came close to dying more than once anyway."

Helen closed her eyes and tightened her embrace. A tear escaped her right eye.

"Mom, I have some really bad emotional baggage. I've killed four men since Black Saturday. One of them had...assaulted me and Jane."

Helen tensed and asked, her voice weak, "Were you...were you raped?"

"No," Daria said, her voice quivering, "but I almost was. If Jane hadn't managed to get his pistol and shoot him while he was...assaulting me..." Tears ran down her cheeks.

"You don't have to say anymore," her mother said and kissed the side of her head. "Who else knows about that besides you and Jane?"

"I've told Martin about it. He hugged me and held me close to him. We haven't even told Trent yet. Jane and I are...afraid...that there might be problems if it became common knowledge."

"Don't tell anyone else, sweetie." Helen's voice was firm and comforting as she patted Daria's back. "With the chaos that came with the bombings, there will be a lot of...unsolved deaths. Just look at it that he's dead and can't hurt anyone else."

"Mom? Martin and I are a couple. We love each other. Yes, we're...intimate, but we've set up limits."

"In the heat of the moment, sweetie, limits can go by the wayside. Take me for example. What is it about a stunt driver that would make an otherwise intelligent teen remove her shirt?"

"Mom!" Daria's eyes were widely opened now and she blushed deeply.

Helen smiled and kept her hold on Daria. "I'm just telling you that sometimes your emotions can override your intellect. What happens if you get pregnant?"

"We're afraid of complications due to...radiation. But if we do...go farther, we'll be careful. I promise you that."

Helen tightened her hug and said, "That's all I ask, sweetie. That's all I ask."

Rev. Harris approached them then and said, "If I'm to understand right, you're Daria's mother? I'm Reverend Jack Harris." He held out his right hand.

Helen released Daria and noticed that her daughter glared at the man. "That's right." She held out her hand and they shook. "Helen Morgendorffer."

Rev. Harris felt the animosity flowing from Daria and ignored her. "The fact that you two have found one another is a blessing from God. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. If you have any questions or need to see me, just come find me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to." He walked off.

"Scum sucking, holier-than-thou bastard," Daria muttered.

"Daria," Helen replied, her tone a warning.

"He's one of the ones who tried to punish us, Mom. He still thinks Martin and I had sex in the church, but we didn't!"

"Has he said anything...suggestive to you or acted inappropriately towards you or Jane?"

Daria shook her head. "No. The only one to do that was Odell Jones."

"Point him out to me later on. I'll cool his fire down for him."

**oooooooooo**

As the afternoon settled into the early evening twilight, Jane walked towards the cemetery with a couple of flowers and was surprised when the Marine colonel suddenly moved with her. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked uncertainly.

"I hope so," he said. "I'm looking for where Glen Bates was put to rest."

The teen brightened. "I'm headed to his grave right now. I'll take you there."

"Thank you." Armalin smiled at her. "I was going to relieve him when I got here to take over."

Jane's eyes opened widely. "He was in his 80s," she said. "He was retired."

"Doesn't matter, Miss. Once a Marine, always a Marine."

She stopped at a still fresh grave and said, "This is it. They haven't had a chance to get a tombstone yet." She gently laid the two flowers on top of the grave. "It'll probably be awhile before they can get any."

Armalin waited for Jane to move aside, then he came to full attention, drew his right hand up in a rigid salute and said formally, "Staff Sergeant Glen Bates, you are relieved."

Jane stood still as she felt a shiver run up her spine. She said, "He was my friend. He...helped me."

The Marine could tell by the tone of her voice that she wanted to say something more, so he asked, "How did he help you?"

"On a mushroom hunt, one of the men here tried to rape me. I...killed him and Glen saw the whole thing. It really upset me, but he counseled me and explained to me how I did the right thing."

Armalin nodded. "If you hadn't shot him, he probably would have. That's what Marines do - kill the bad guys. Does anyone else know about this?"

"My best friend, Daria."

"Don't tell anyone else. Nothing more needs to be said about it."

**oooooooooo**

During the evening meal, Helen sat with Daria, Martin, Jane and Danny and mostly listened as the young people talked.

Odell Jones took a deep breath and approached the table. "That's Odell Jones, Mom," Daria said quietly and looked down at the table. "The man I told you about earlier."

Helen nodded. "I'll handle this."

"Mrs. Morgendorffer," he said, "I think we need to talk about your daughter. If we can step over there..." He motioned to the hall.

Helen smiled at him, but the smile conveyed no warmth, no humor and no friendliness. "If you're going to talk about Daria, you can say it in front of her and her friends. After all, I already know that you consider her 'forbidden fruit.'"

Odell squirmed as his face went full red. He could feel Helen's gaze bore into his face. "I never said that!" he protested.

"What did you want to talk about, Mr. Jones?" Helen's tone conveyed a slight impatience.

"Daria and Martin are setting a bad example for our youth. They go off by themselves and everyone knows that they're having sex."

"You are now calling my daughter a liar, Mr. Jones," Helen said, her voice cold. "Daria gave me her word that she and Martin are not having sex and she has absolutely no reason to lie to me."

"Odell, you're so full of crap, it stinks!" Martin interrupted. "I can demonstrate to you what multiple puncture wounds are like." He grabbed his pistol and started to draw it from the shoulder holster.

"Martin!" Helen turned to him and stared at the youth. "Stop it!" The teen released his pistol. "Let me handle this, please."

"Yes, ma'am," he said and looked down.

Helen turned back to Odell and said, "I will keep what you said...under advisement." She stood up, moved around the table and stood in front of him. "I want you to keep this under advisement." She drew the Colt .45 from it's holster, cocked it and released the safety, then placed the barrel against his left ear. "If you touch my daughter, Martin, Jane or anyone else in our...circle of friends, shall we say...I'll empty a clip into you. That goes for your nephew and his friends, as well." 

"There is no need for threats, Mrs. Morgendorffer," the deacon said, his voice shaky.

"This isn't a threat, _Mister_ Jones," she said. "It's a promise." She removed the pistol from his ear and reactivated the safety. "You may leave."

The deacon nearly ran as he left the lunchroom.

Martin turned to Daria and whispered, "Remind me to never piss off your mother."

Daria stared at Helen and whispered back, "Same here."

**oooooooooo**

Later that night, Martin stood outside and looked at the moon. Daria went to the restroom and he waited for her to return. He felt someone move up behind him and tensed.

"Martin," Helen Morgendorffer said in the darkness.

"Yes?"

"Daria loves you."

"I love her, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

"I'm only going to say this once, but I want you to remember it always. If you hurt Daria...I'll hurt you." Then she went back inside.

Martin exhaled and wiped sweat off his forehead. _I think my life just became a little more complicated._


	36. Chapter 36

Helen went back inside the church and approached Jane, who whispered something in Danny's ear and laughed. "Jane, I have something to show you," she said, then looked at the boyfriend. "What is your name again?"

"Danny Smith, ma'am," he said.

"How old are you, Danny?"

"Twenty-two."

"There's some age difference between you two."

He shrugged. "I don't hold it against Jane," he said and smiled. "It's not her fault."

Jane smacked his arm. "Just for that, you can sleep near your brother tonight."

"I already do."

"Oh, that's right, you do. Looks like I'll have to find something else to get you on." She looked at Helen, who sat across the table from her and opened a suitcase. "What did you want to show me, Mrs. M?"

"Jane, you can call me Helen. Being formal doesn't seem...appropriate anymore."

The teen looked at her silently and said, "That will take some getting used to. O.K., what did you want to show me, Helen?"

Helen looked at her daughter's best friend and said, "Before I show you, I want to ask you about Martin."

Jane tensed and said, "Three questions, no betrayals and immunity from prosecution."

Helen laughed. "We've been through that before, Jane."

"With all due respect, Helen, shouldn't you be asking Daria about him, not me?"

The older woman sighed and gave Jane a rueful smile. "Daria is in love," she said. "It's neat, and shocking, to see it. But at the same time, her vision of...things, is colored. I want the opinion of someone who isn't emotionally attached to him."

"He's my friend and I like him," Jane said. "But I can give you unbiased answers. Ask away."

"How honorable do you think Martin is?"

Jane smiled and looked at Danny. Then she looked back at Helen. "When he saved Daria's life, he was shot in the process. If we hadn't had a doctor here, he probably would have died."

"Or been crippled," Danny added.

"True," Jane replied. "Later still, he rushed into a burning building to save his father. They made it out right before the building collapsed. He could have died then. In fact, Daria tried to go in after Martin did."

"What?" Helen asked.

Jane nodded. "If Trent and I hadn't stopped and restrained her, she would have gone in, too. But here's another one. Daria told me that when they got punished by the church leaders, he tried to get them to let her off and give him all the punishment."

Helen nodded and smiled. "I like that. Is he the type to pressure Daria into doing something she doesn't want to do?"

"I don't think so," Jane said. "Daria would stop him if he tried. Besides, I think he's afraid of ticking her off. He once told me that a furious Daria would be a nightmare to face."

"If he did get Daria pregnant, would he stand with her and take care of her?"

Jane stared at Helen, her mouth opened in shock. Danny, however, replied, "I can answer that one. I've known Martin since he was little. He's a lot like his dad. He'd stand with her, but he's also...overly cautious. I don't see that happening, unless it was deliberate or just a untimely accident."

Helen nodded and said, "Thank you." She reached into the suitcase and pulled out a bag. "This is yours. On Black Saturday, when Trent came looking for you, he left this with me in case I found you first."

Jane took the bag and opened it. Inside were her running shoes and a large, drawing pad. "I haven't jogged in awhile," she said. "It's not exactly the safest activity around here. But the drawing pad...I needed that." She smiled at Helen. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I have a question for you, Helen, if you don't mind."

"O.K. I guess that's fair. What do you want to know?"

"Did...something happen between you and Trent? I'm not trying to cause trouble, I just really want to know."

Helen looked at Jane eye to eye for several seconds and said, "To be honest, I thought he was dead. It was a shock to find him here, too. I mean, he left me your stuff and took off and I...I was afraid he was going to..." She cleared her throat. "Jake and I thought that you two went to the Smithsonian on Black Saturday. Daria had mentioned it a couple of times. We thought you two were dead. Trent...didn't believe it. That's why he gave me your stuff. He believed that you two were still alive."

Jane said nothing, but thought, _Nice way to totally sidestep the question, Helen._

**oooooooooo**

A minute after Helen went back inside, Martin heard someone else come outside. He waited and tensed when he heard Rev. Harris speak. "I want to talk with you, Martin."

"Tell someone else," the teen said. "I don't want to hear you and I have nothing to say to you."

"This is important and since you are staying at this rescue center, you don't have the option of ignoring me. Despite what you think, you are our ward."

Martin turned towards the preacher and glared at him. "If you have a complaint about me, take it up with Mrs. Morgendorffer. She is my guardian, not you."

Rev. Harris moved beside him. "Has she become your guardian? Your uncles may have a problem with that."

_I need to let her know what I just said, _he thought. "What do you want? I'm waiting for Daria and I really don't want to talk to you. Not now, not ever."

"You didn't attend Sunday morning services today. Nor did Daria, Jane or any of the others in their group. I'd like to know why."

Martin shook his head in disbelief. "Several days ago, I was crying over the loss of my parents; my life had been torn to shreds before my eyes, my home was destroyed and my girlfriend was almost killed. I was an emotional wreck and Daria was there to hold me up and support me. But because Odell has the hots for my girlfriend--"

"Stop!" the preacher said quickly. "You have no proof of that, so don't say it anymore. Which brings me to another problem. What did you tell Daria's mother to get her to threaten him like that? I just reported it to Col. Armalin, but he's apparently reluctant to confront her."

"I have enough proof," Martin said, "and we told her the truth. I really could care less if you don't like it. But as I was saying, because Odell has...lust, yes that's the right word, lust for my girlfriend, he lied about us. I was crying my eyes out and Daria was crying for me! Yet you wrongly punished us for having sex and then have the nerve to ask why we didn't attend services this morning?"

"The 'sex' thing isn't what's important, Martin. What is important is maintaining your faith and the best way to do that is by fellowship with your fellow Christians. Which brings me to another point. How far do you think that you and Daria will go together? You're a believer and she isn't. If you marry her, you're setting yourselves up for constant fights over your beliefs. Unless you intend to throw away everything you've been taught to believe for an atheist."

"Agnostic," Martin corrected him, "not atheist. Not that it's any of your business."

"What's the difference in the long run, Martin? It still translates to unsaved." When the teen didn't respond, Rev. Harris added, "Is she that good a lover that you're willing to...drop out of church?"

Martin clenched his fists, then relaxed them. "I will say this just once more. After tonight, you and I will never talk about it again. I have not screwed Daria, either here or elsewhere. When we do have sex...it will be none of your business. If you're smart, you'll stay out of Daria's business and mine. This discussion is over."

The preacher looked at him, then spoke calmly. "I will say one last thing and then leave you alone. What will you do if you get her pregnant? You don't have a job and you haven't even graduated from high school yet. You don't have to say anything, but I'd think carefully about it if I were you. You say that you love her. But do you really respect and care for her? Or is she just some plaything to enjoy for awhile? Think about it and think about your future. You say that you're an adult, but you haven't convinced me of it yet." He left the teen alone and went back inside the church.

Martin looked at the door for several seconds, then turned and walked down the steps and away.

**oooooooooo**

When Daria came out of the restroom, she looked at Helen and Jane and said, "I'm going to be with Martin awhile."

"Before you do that, sweetie," Helen said, "come in here and see what I brought from home for you."

"What do you mean?" Daria's expression was confused. "Brought what? I thought you only took what was necessary."

Helen handed Daria a suitcase. The teen stared at it, smiled and said, "That's my suitcase. If you brought my underwear, I'd really appreciate it."

"She brought my running shoes, Daria," Jane said. "They were in your suitcase."

"Great, just great," Daria muttered. "Now if my underwear's in there, they'll smell like your feet."

Jane moved up and whispered in Daria's ear, "The only who'll notice is Martin, when he's pulling them down your legs."

Daria blushed and whispered, "You're dead, Lane. Just wait until I get you alone."

"La, la, la, la, la, _amiga_. I'll be with Danny, and you'll be with Martin, who will wonder why your butt smells like my feet." She laughed and jumped back.

Helen watched the banter, and winced when her daughter tried unsuccessfully to hit Jane, but knew better than to ask what it was about. Instead, she said, "Open it up, Daria."

Daria opened the suitcase and gasped. "My laptop," she said quietly. "You brought my laptop." She held up the harmonica she had played while she and Quinn were both grounded together. "Why this?"

Helen gave her a weak smile. "I couldn't fit the cheese model in there with the laptop. Besides, it was small and something of yours. I operated on the hope that you were still alive. But if you had been...you know, it would have been a reminder of you."

Daria pulled out her copy of _Animal Farm_, then saw assorted clothing, including several bras and panties. When she looked back at Helen, she had tears in her eyes. She moved up and hugged her suddenly. "Thanks, Mom."

"Daria, I still have to get used to this," Helen said as she embraced her. "You've hugged me more in the last five hours than you did in the last two years."

"I've missed you, Mom," Daria said. "I told Jane and Martin that if I got to see you guys again, I'd hug you like there was no tomorrow. I love you, Mom."

Helen smiled, closed her eyes and sniffed. "I love you, too, Daria." She broke the hug and motioned to a second suitcase. "See if there's anything in there you want to have."

That suitcase belonged to Quinn. Daria opened it and she blinked at the sight of Quinn's smiley face pillow and her pink smiley face T-shirt. "Oh, Quinn..." she said and started crying. She picked up the T-shirt and held it to her chest.

Helen took Daria back in her arms and held her as they both cried. The older woman led her daughter to the seats where they sat beside each other and cried some more.

Finally, Daria's cries subsided and she asked, "Mom, what about our other relatives? What about Amy, Aunt Rita, Erin and everyone else? Do you know where they are or if they're...?"

Helen shook her head. "No. The Army's got a large database of missing and found people, because that's how I found you and Jane. But I...don't know about the rest of them."

**oooooooooo**

Helen and Daria were still talking as the clock struck eight. Suddenly Daria sat up straight. "Omigod! I forgot all about Martin! He was waiting for me outside!"

"Oh, dear," Helen said. "We got so involved, I'd forgotten about him, too. You'd better go to him. Tell him I'm sorry."

Daria got up and quickly headed for the front door. When she got outside, she saw nobody but a couple of Marines and one of the church's guards.

She found Martin on the church's back step. "Martin, I'm sorry!" she said as she rushed up beside him and sat down. "I'm very, very sorry."

He glanced at her briefly, then looked down at the ground as he tossed a rock up and caught it in his right hand. "What happened?"

She felt the tension emanate from him. _He's pissed off. _"Mom and I were talking about missing family members. She also gave me some stuff she'd brought me from home." She touched his arm and he looked at her again. "I'm sorry, Martin. I really am."

He said nothing for several seconds, then replied, "I'd be a real jerk if I complained about you talking with your mother awhile. After all, you spent the last five weeks apart." He looked at her. "She's protective of you."

Daria noticed that his anger diminished - somewhat. "What makes you say that?"

For several seconds, he said nothing as he tossed the rock up and caught it a couple of times. "Nothing. Just a feeling I have."

"Something's on your mind," she said. "Plus you seem down, really down, and you weren't during supper. You're mad at me."

"No, I'm not mad at you. You just had a miracle come true for you. How can I be mad over that?"

"Well, are you mad at Mom for what she did earlier?"

"No, she's your mother, so I'd expect her to act like that. But I think that she doesn't...trust me. I can understand why."

_Did he hear her earlier? _Daria kissed his left cheek. "She doesn't know you yet, Martin." She wrapped her right arm around him and moved up against him as he put his left arm around her. "Or are you still mad at me for hitting your balls?"

After a momentary silence, he closed his eyes and said, "I should wrestle you to the ground, pin you down and extract a ransom from you before I let you go."

"What kind of ransom?" she asked.

Then Martin turned to her and she could see a small smile appear on his face. He moved his nose to touch hers and said quietly, "I'm not telling you - yet. You can rest assured that you won't get pregnant from it, however." Then he kissed her.

_Interesting. Now you have me curious, boy. _"I fight dirty," she warned him as she returned his kiss, "just to warn you."

"Rev. Harris spoke to me after supper," he said suddenly and changed the subject.

_O.K., now we're getting somewhere. _"What did he say?"

Martin snorted, tossed the rock out into the parking lot near a truck and made an expression of disgust. "He complained because we didn't attend services this morning."

"You should have gone, Martin. I don't want to be the cause of you falling out of church and away from your beliefs."

He turned to her suddenly. "You told me once that you made your own decisions and that I didn't lead you into trouble. The opposite is also true, thank you. If I do 'fall out of church,' it will be my decision, not yours."

Daria tensed. "Hey, don't get mad at me! I'm on your side."

He sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry, honey. I just can't listen to him preach anymore. No matter what he would say, all I would hear is him lecturing us during that kangaroo court."

"He must have really wound you up."

"I wanted to punch his lights out. I still do. He knows that we didn't have sex, but he's too proud to admit his mistake. Accused me of treating you like a plaything and implied that all I wanted you for was for sex."

"You did 'play' with me some earlier today," she pointed out quietly and smiled as she saw him smile, too, "and I liked it." She laid her head on his upper arm. "Did he say anything else?"

"He reminded me of something that I hadn't thought of in awhile."

"What?"

Martin tensed again. "One week from today was to be my graduation from high school. I'm an honors student, Daria, I've lost six weeks of school and I...don't know what to do."

"Do you have the credits to graduate?" she asked.

He nodded. "For a regular diploma, yes, I do. For honors...I lack two credits." He sighed loudly. "Not that it matters anymore."

Daria frowned at the tone of his voice. _He sounds like he just gave up. _"Why doesn't it matter?"

In response, Martin pulled a key out of his pants pocket and held it up. "I rented a post office box in Martinsburg without telling Mom and Dad. Rather than accept my mother forcing me to attend Liberty University in the fall, I sent applications to various universities all over the country."

"Did any accept you?"

Martin smiled, but it held no warmth or humor in it. "Three. Liberty, of course, because my Mom forged my signature on the application..."

_I'm not surprised by that one, _Daria thought.

"...plus the University of Pittsburgh and Washington University in St. Louis."

Daria stared at Martin's face and watched the smile vanish. He looked lost for a couple of seconds, then he closed his eyes tightly. She pulled him to her and guided his head to her left shoulder.

"I'm in limbo," he said and wrapped his arms around her. "I honestly don't know what to do now."

Daria moved onto his lap and their embrace became tighter. She caressed the side of his face and kissed him gently. "We can talk to Mom, if you don't mind. She could have some ideas that might not occur to us."

He glanced at her and said, "I need to talk with her anyway."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I told Rev. Harris that she's my guardian now. I need to see if...she's O.K. with that."

"You're 18 and an adult, Martin. You don't need a guardian."

"I know. I'm just trying to get the church leaders off of my back."

She got off of his lap and held out her hand. "We'll figure out something, Martin. You know how to brainstorm, don't you?"

He laughed, took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. "Of course I do. Normal way to work out a problem, anymore. At least for those of us in the honors program."

"Ooof, you're heavy," she said.

"It's all that muscle I have," he replied as they started to walk.

"Yeah, in your mouth." Daria playfully smacked his left arm

They walked inside the church and found Helen setting up a sleeping bag next to where Daria slept.

Daria blinked and frowned. _Just a little too close, Mom._

Helen saw her and said, "There you two are. I have a question for you, Daria. Where's my car?"


	37. Chapter 37

Daria felt a chill go down her spine after Helen asked her question. _Oh, crap_, she thought as she blushed. "Mom?"

"My car, Daria. Where is it? I looked in the parking lot before we ate and never saw it."

Martin looked from Daria to Helen and back to Daria again. From his expression, he had no idea what Helen was talking about.

"Furthermore, Daria," Helen continued, "I'd like to know how you and Jane ended up in West Virginia. Just where in the world did you two go on Black Saturday?"

Jane walked up then and said, "It's like this, Helen. A band of roving gypsies--"

"Jane!" Daria said quickly and shut her friend up. She swallowed, looked down at her mother's legs and then said, "We went on a road trip, Mom."

"A road trip? Here? Why here? What's here?"

"We went to Morgantown, Mom. We just...ended up here."

Helen frowned and thought for several seconds. "That's a 200-mile trip from Lawndale, Daria."

"I know, Mom."

"O.K. What was in Morgantown that you two just had to see or do?"

Daria cringed and swallowed again. _God, if you are merciful, you'll make my death quick_. Finally, she said, "Lunch."

"You went to 200 miles to Morgantown, West Virginia, just to have lunch? You didn't tell us where you were going! You didn't even ask permission! WE THOUGHT YOU TWO WERE DEAD!" Helen put her hands over her face and took several deep breaths as she calmed herself down. "O.K., Daria, where's the car?"

Daria looked as if she were about to cry. "It's...it's in the median strip of Interstate 68 somewhere near the Maryland/West Virginia border. I wrecked it when I was temporarily blinded by the Philadelphia bomb."

Helen glared at her daughter and moved up to her quickly.

Daria closed her eyes and braced herself for the slap she was certain was coming. To her surprise, her mother wrapped her up in an embrace and held her tightly. Helen sobbed as she held her.

"Mom?" Daria asked, shocked.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Daria."

Daria felt the tears flow from her eyes as she said, "I'm sorry, Mom."

For more than a minute the two held onto each other. Martin and Jane kept their distance, but stayed close enough to keep a watch.

Finally, Helen calmed down again, wiped her eyes and spoke. "When it's time for us to leave, Daria, how are we going to go? I really don't want to walk." She broke the hug and waited for an answer.

"We have an SUV, Helen," Jane replied. "The man who owned it was dead when we found him."

Helen did some quick mental math and asked, "Does Trent and Pam have something to drive?"

"No," the taller girl said. "They arrived here on foot."

"Seven of us are going to be a tight fit in an SUV, Jane. That's not even counting on any luggage."

"There's eight, Mom," Daria said quickly and wiped her eyes. "Martin's not staying here when we leave."

"There's nine, _amiga_," Jane added. "Danny wants to go with me, as well."

Helen looked at the two girls in shock, then at Martin.

"Mrs. Morgendorffer," Martin said, "The dual cab F-150 in my garage is mine, free and clear. It can hold up to six people, but four can ride in it comfortably."

Helen looked at her daughter. "Daria?"

"I'm not leaving him behind, Mom," Daria said firmly and crossed her arms over her chest. "I will not abandon Martin."

The older woman looked at her daughter for several seconds and noticed a hardness to her that she hadn't seen before. Then she looked at Daria's beau, sighed and said, "When you come along, I'll expect you to follow some basic rules and guidelines, the same as I would expect from Daria and Jane."

"I was going to ask you to be my guardian, anyway, Mrs. Morgendorffer," he said.

"You're 18, Martin," Helen said. "You don't need a guardian."

Daria moved next to her boyfriend and held onto his left arm with both of her hands. "The church leaders won't accept that fact, Mom," she said. "They consider him a child and are trying to...treat him like one. They've tried the same thing with me." 

Helen looked at Daria, then at Martin. "Very well," she said. "I'll be your guardian, at least while we're here. Will you have a problem following any orders I give you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Think about that carefully before you say that, Martin. Protecting Daria is my first priority. That means protecting her even from you."

"I would never hurt Daria!"

"Mom!" Daria cried out.

Helen smiled at both of them. "I never said that you were going to hurt Daria, Martin. But please, think about it awhile before you submit to my authority."

Just then, Col. Armalin walked up. "Mrs. Morgendorffer," he said politely. "I trust that you and your daughter are doing fine?"

"Perfectly, Colonel," she said. "How about yourself?"

Armalin stroked his chin, smiled wryly and said, "I have a slight problem that you can help me with."

"Oh?"

He looked at Daria, Jane and Martin. "If you three would excuse us?"

"There should be no problem telling...my kids...what you're going to tell me."

Daria and Martin looked at each other and smiled.

"Very well," the Marine said. "Did you have some sort of problem with Odell Jones?"

"Martin and I did," Daria spoke up. "He railroaded us on sex charges and tried to set me up for...for...something bad."

"I see. So you two were 'John and Jane Doe'?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned back to Helen. "Please, don't threaten anymore people with a pistol in the church, Mrs. Morgendorffer. The preacher was...upset, to say the least."

"He'll get over it." Helen gave the Marine a small smile. "As long as...Mr. Jones...leaves me and mine alone, we'll leave him alone."

**oooooooooo**

As 10 p.m. arrived, most of the shelter inhabitants were settled for the night. Helen sat in the lunchroom with a cup of coffee and listened to the radio. She had the volume down so that the three or four people watching TV could hear what the CNN news anchor was saying.

Kathy Wilson walked into the lunchroom, saw Helen and approached her. "Hi," she said and held out her right hand. "You're Daria's mother, aren't you? I'm Dr. Kathy Wilson."

Helen took the offered hand, shook it and said, "Helen Morgendorffer. Would you care to join me?" She turned off the radio.

The doctor served herself some coffee from the coffee maker and sat across from Helen. "Thank you. I would have talked to you earlier, but I've been busy today with all the supplies the Marines brought us."

"Daria spoke highly of you," Helen said. "Considering she doesn't do that for anyone very often, that's high praise indeed. Thank you for taking care of her."

Kathy sipped some coffee, smiled and replied, "Hey, it's my calling. I think highly of her and Jane, too, but their sarcasm takes some getting used to."

Helen smiled back. "Sarcasm is what Daria and Jane do best. They tend to see the worst...or the stupidest...in people. That's why seeing her with Martin is somewhat of a surprise."

"He's sarcastic, too, but not at their level." The doctor yawned and leaned back in her chair. "You know, she's the best thing to ever happen to him."

"Oh? What was Martin's mother like? I've not heard much good about her."

Kathy looked at her silently and said, "This is just between the two of us. Martha Peters, in my professional opinion, was totally insane. John, Martin's father, should have had her institutionalized long ago. When she gave in to her madness, she killed two people, nearly killed another and tried to kill Daria, as well."

"I heard about that." Helen shivered. "What about Martin? What is he like? I'm trying to see what Daria sees in him, and understand her attraction."

"He's very intelligent, a loner and somewhat rebellious. He especially loves to hunt and read. His mother wanted him to be a preacher, but he didn't want to be one, and they clashed over that. If my guess is right, he would have run away after he graduated from high school."

"He's a loner?" Helen asked and frowned. "Not the Columbine type, I hope."

"No. His mother...formed a cocoon around him, kept others away. He tried to make friends many times, but those who responded to him were chased away by her. Most people...avoided him, because of her." Kathy sipped her coffee. "It was sad to see him many times in a crowd, but all by himself." She looked down in thought for a couple of seconds, then continued, "Daria and Jane came here for help and suddenly there were two people who didn't look down on him. They didn't treat him like a freak."

"You mean the people here treat him like that?" Helen asked.

"Some of them, yes," Kathy said. "They were afraid of Martha, and in turn, afraid of him. Others joined Martha in saying that he was called to the ministry, but most of them just simply stayed away from him. He's a really good kid, but most people never got close enough to see it. During the raid, he almost died saving Daria's life and their friendship grew. But then, she also saved his life. Before I knew it, they were an item." She looked at Helen and smiled. "I don't think Martin will stay here. He is closer to Daria and Jane than he is to the members of this church. When you folks leave...he'll either follow you or take off on his own."

Helen thought for a few seconds, then asked, "This may sound like a stupid question, but how honorable is he?"

The doctor sipped some more coffee and said, "Martin Peters would die for Daria, Jane and maybe even you. Maybe even my dog, Benji. He may not even realize it, but when he acts to help others, he doesn't think about his own safety. He puts himself in harm's way to help others."

**oooooooooo**

_Martin found himself outside the church. He saw the smoke of his burning home in the distance. Then he looked to see Glen's body on the ground in front of him, as well as that of Melissa Smith. He saw Daria on her knees and started to run towards her._

_Martha Peters shot the girl in the head and she fell back against the building; her body slid to the ground, leaving a smear of blood on the bricks._

"_NOOO!" he yelled and Martha turned towards him._

_She cocked the pistol, aimed it at him and yelled, "Traitor! Hellspawn!" She fired the weapon at his face and everything went white._

**oooooooooo**

Martin sat up quickly in his sleeping bag, and took several deep breaths. He covered his face in his hands and shivered.

Helen stirred as he moved and she looked at him through barely opened eyes. Then she saw Daria get up and move over to him.

"Hey," Daria said quietly as she got on her knees beside him. "You O.K.?"

"I had a nightmare," he said. "It was about _her_."

"Oh."

"She killed you, Daria, then she killed me." He took another deep breath. "It was horrible!"

Daria embraced him, kissed him lightly and said, "It's O.K. It's over, honey, it's over."

Helen paid close attention to their actions, but laid still.

"I need to get up," he said. "Nature's calling."

"Do you need help getting up?" Daria asked.

"Probably."

She helped him to his feet and gave him his walking stick. "Here you go, gimpy," she said and smiled.

"I ought to kick your butt," he said and smiled back.

"You'd have to sleep sometime, Martin. You'd be too easy to get back."

He kissed her. "I don't deserve you."

"I know." She hugged him briefly. "You'll be O.K. if I go ahead and lay back down?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Daria. I love you."

"Love you, too." She smiled as she watched him walk off, then got back into the sleeping bag.

Helen waited until Martin returned. She watched him as he glanced at Daria, then got back into his sleeping bag.

**oooooooooo**

The next morning, Daria and Helen went to breakfast and sat together, followed by Jane, Pam and the two little girls. "Was Martin O.K, Daria?" Helen asked. "He got up in the middle of the night."

"Bathroom trip and he had a nightmare, Mom. If I can, I try to help him up."

Helen looked at her daughter for several seconds, then said, "It's...strange watching you two together. You act so...so...I don't want to say it."

"Is the word 'intimate'?" Daria asked.

Her mother blushed and looked away.

Daria ate some of her cereal. "I never thought of it that way." Then she suddenly glanced up and asked, "You're still worried that we're...doing it, aren't you?"

"Yes, sweetie, just a little bit. After all I was a teenager once and I do know what happens when teenage hormones rage."

Jane laughed and the two little girls laughed with her.

Daria looked at Pam's daughters and glared at Jane. "Watch it, Lane, or your hormones are going to scream." Then she turned back to her mother. "Mom, my hormones don't rage. They just get ticked off and stop speaking."

"Oh, Daria, how do I love thee?" Jane said aloud. "Let me count the--"

Daria slapped her right hand over her best friend's mouth and looked at Pam. "Did she find some whisky or did she finally go insane?"

"I have no idea," Pam said. "She was giggling on and off when I woke up and hasn't stopped yet." The two girls laughed again and the young mother sighed. "She's getting them worked up as well."

Helen smiled and ate her cereal.

Martin walked up, the walking stick firmly in his left hand. "I want to work at the house today, Daria," he said. "Can you help me?"

"Are you sure that you want to go in the ruins?"

"I know for a fact that there are iron skillets and a safe." He sighed. "Those probably survived the fire. There could be something else. I'd like to at least check."

"O.K.," Daria said. "I'll get you some cereal and we'll go after you eat."

"I want to go, too," Helen said.

Daria winced briefly, turned and smiled at her. "Are you trying to keep us from being alone, Mom?"

"Sweetie, you look stronger and more confident than you did at Lawndale, but Martin is a big, heavy man and you will need help if he gets stuck or hurt."

"Hey, now," Martin spoke up. "I weighed 202 the last time I checked. Most of it muscle."

Daria glanced at him. "Like I told you last night, your muscle is in your mouth."

Suddenly, Jane said, "As much as you two kiss, his lips were bound to bulk up." Then she pounded the table and laughed again. The girls laughed again only to be shushed by their mother.

Daria turned to her best friend and glanced at her through narrowed eyes. "What are you smoking?" she asked, "and why haven't you shared it with the rest of us?"

**oooooooooo**

Odell Jones sat in his office of the church parsonage and checked the Internet hookup. To his surprise, he got online with no trouble at all.

The parsonage was no longer used as a home, though it had been available to Glen and Jenny Bates as one when he became senior pastor in 1968. Instead, they stayed in their home just down the road and he had the parsonage remodeled to include offices for the deacons, the music minister and the Sunday School superintendent.

Odell liked the office for the privacy that it offered, especially the locked filing cabinet that held his stash of vodka. He drank it sparingly, however, because a drunk deacon was heavily frowned upon.

He tried not to think about how his phone line scam had almost been caught. _They think this 'Forever Kristie' did it. Let them think that. I just wonder who she is._

It took him 15 minutes of searching to find Forever Kristie and her blog. The only pictures of her had her head and face shaded out. Odell stared at the body that wore a simple black T-shirt and blue jeans. "Don't know who you are...yet, little girl. But I will."

He clicked on the blog itself and started reading:

"...Odell Jones and Martha Peters got into it during Sunday School today. She accused him of trying to corrupt Martin and he told her that she's an unfit mother. John Peters had to hold her butt back and they all went to the preacher's office over it.

During that meeting, Martin sat by himself. Nobodie wants to go near him. They're afraid of the wicked witch. I like him and he's kinda cute, but Mom and Dad won't even let me talk to him. He looks so lonely..."

Odell snorted in laughter and smiled. _Martha Peters was more than unfit. She was a total nut job. It felt good to shoot her._ Then he read on:

"...it happened again. I was bent over wiping down a table after the carry-in and Odell Jones looked down my dress again! To make it even worse, it was the loose dress Mom made me wear, so he could see my bra and panties! I caught the old perv licking his lips! Ughhhh!"

The deacon stared in shock at the monitor and searched his memory for the girl. The problem was that over the years, he had looked down many blouses and dresses and he couldn't remember the incident or girl in question.

"...I finally got to talk to Dani again. She quit church suddenly and now I know why. When we came back from King's Island, it was late and everybody slept. She had to share a seat with Odell Jones and he let her use his coat for a cover. Glen and Jenny took turns driving. Dani said that during the night, Odell kept his hand inside her pants and made her touch his...thing. How disgusting. She's afraid of telling..."

_Oh, hell. Those Marines have read her blog._

For the next hour, Odell read over the entries in shock. Most of them dealt with the life of a teenage church girl, her crushes, likes and fears. But there were nearly 20 entries dedicated to the deacon and his...misadventures, including the incident involving Martin and Daria. The sad part was that it was all true. He closed his eyes, turned away from the computer and groaned.

Outside, two Marines, one male and the other female, walked on a patrol, their path different than the one used by the church patrols. _She fills out her uniform nicely_, he thought and shook his head. _Get that out of your mind, Odell! You are in trouble and it's all because of a gossipy teen bitch._

Two children ran between the church and the parsonage, apparently playing tag or some other silly game. Then Odell saw someone lurking along the church. He looked closer and shook his head. "That stupid Andrews girl," he muttered. "Must be meeting one of the boys behind the bushes." He briefly smiled at the thought of watching them, but turned away and looked back at the computer.

For several minutes, he stared at the screen in thought. Then he clicked on the refresh button and was surprised to see a new entry. "What the--"

Odell turned around quickly and looked where he had seen the teen girl. She had a laptop computer and he saw her disconnect a cord from the telephone box on the building. As she walked off, he blinked and said, "Renee Andrews is Forever Kristie." He remembered looking down her dress then and clenched his fists. "I'll have to leave before the Marines suspect too much," he muttered. "But _you_ are coming with me, girl."

**oooooooooo**

Daria, Helen and Martin arrived at the ruined house nearly an hour later. Daria stood on the porch and looked at the remains for a few minutes. Then she glanced at Martin and said, "Your clothes will be filthy before you're through."

"I'm going to change into coveralls in the garage," he said.

"Well, what about your feet? Martin, what if you step on a nail?"

"Daria, I can't put this off forever." He sighed as she stared at him. "I'll take one of the brooms with me. I'll sweep a path as best as I can. Besides, most of the nails in there will be...brittle, if they're even still intact."

Helen touched Daria's right shoulder and the girl looked at her. "Daria, we'll be here to help Martin and he is right. This needs to be done."

"But, Mom..."

"When is your last rabies shot, Daria?"

The teen sighed and looked down. "Tomorrow."

"You're wanting to leave, aren't you?"

Daria nodded.

Helen pulled the girl to her and hugged her. "Let Martin look. That way, if there is something he finds, then he can get it. He's going with us and we'll be here to help him."

Martin looked at them and said, "I'm going to change."

Daria broke Helen's hug and said, "I'll help you." The older woman started to speak, but the teen stared at her and she stepped back and said nothing. "Thank you, Mom. We'll be right back." She moved up to her mother and whispered, "We won't do anything, Mom. I promise."

Helen blushed and nodded.

Inside the garage, Daria leaned against the truck and watched as Martin removed his shirt, then his right shoe. When he loosened his belt, he looked at her and asked, "Do you have to stare?"

She smiled at him. "Uh, huh. I'm enjoying myself."

Martin stood up and turned around.

Daria moved in front of him and said, "Don't turn around on me, boy. Just go ahead and strip."

He blushed and took a deep breath. "Uh, Daria?"

"Just pull them down slowly, Martin. Let me...savor the moment." She laughed.

He blinked and said, "O.K." He pulled the pants down slowly and looked away as she looked him over.

"Well, Martin, I see that you're 'very ready' again. Do you need a couple minutes alone to take care of that?"

"No!"

"Or...do you need help?"

Martin stared at his girlfriend in shock. "Daria?"

"If so, we need to be quick about it." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, what do you say?"

"I'd like to...I really would...actually, I'd love it...but not with your mother just outside. It's something we can do another time, when we're alone."

Daria smiled for a couple of seconds, moved up to him and kissed him briefly. "Congratulations, honey," she said quietly. "You just passed another test."

Martin looked at her and asked, "How many tests am I going to go through?"

She kissed him again and clamped her left hand on his butt. "I can't tell you that. These are pop quizzes, you know." She looked him over slowly and said, "Speaking of things that 'pop'...I look forward to it. 'After' we leave the Carthage area. Now get your coveralls on and let's get this done, handsome."

**oooooooooo**

Later, Jane found Pam in the church hallway after she had worked on cleaning the sanctuary. "Come on, Pam," she said. "Let's gang up on Trent - get him to admit to whatever happened between him and Helen."

"Jane, wait!" Pam said quickly. "I think we should just drop it."

"What? Aren't you just the least bit curious? Don't you want to know what happened?"

"No, I don't."

Jane stared at Pam in shock. "I don't understand."

Pam pulled the teen girl towards the sleeping areas. "Come and take a look," she said. There Trent sat with Vickie and Amber as he read them a children's story. "We've only been together a month and he's already more of a father to my girls than their real Dad ever was."

"You never talk about your ex," Jane pointed out.

"What's to talk about? He...didn't want the girls and blamed me when they were born girls." She looked down. "He'd hit them for the least little thing. Amber accidentally broke a beer bottle once and he whaled into her...in front of my family."

"What happened?"

Pam smiled. "My brothers put him in the hospital. After he got out, he got a six-month jail sentence for battery and I divorced him." She sighed. "I haven't seen him in more than a year."

"Did he...beat you?" Jane asked.

"No. He loved me, but he couldn't stand the girls." She shook her head and looked back at Trent and the girls. "They love Trent. He plays with them, reads to them and sings to them."

"Have you heard him sing?" Jane's expression was one of shock. "That could warp your girls for life!"

Pam smiled at the teen. "He sings really good, I'll have you know. The girls love it. He makes them feel safe, wanted and loved. He makes me feel safe, wanted and loved. I don't want to lose it. I don't even want to risk it." She closed her eyes. "On Black Saturday, I was on the verge of panic. My girls were bawling from the explosions. I was trying to get back home and the car broke down." She took a couple of deep breaths. "A man tried...tried to get me out of the car. He said that he'd help me if I...if I..." She shuddered. "...in front of the girls. When I refused, he broke out the driver's window. The girls and I were in a panic. Trent showed up, shot the stupid son of a bitch and calmed us down. Then he took us with him to Taylorsville. Has he always been so...laid back?"

"As long as I can remember," Jane said. "But Pam, what if he did...boink Helen?"

The woman shook her head. "I don't care. I don't want to know. Trent and I had separate lives before we met each other. If he and Helen did do that...well, it's not the same kind of relationship he had with Monique. He still gets choked up over her death."

"He won't talk about her with me. I've tried to get him to, but he refuses."

"Neither can I," Pam admitted. "All I know is that theirs was an on-again, off-again relationship...and that she died. But what I know for certain is this. One day, he'll be ready to talk about Monique and what happened. When he is, I'll be there for him, and I'm not going to chase him away over Helen."

Jane crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "It's going to drive me nuts."

"Does Daria know about this?"

"No. She and Martin were...busy themselves when Helen arrived."

Pam nodded. "Then let it die. Don't tell Daria _or_ Martin. Telling her especially would only cause unnecessary trouble. Let it die."


	38. Chapter 38

Daria and Helen stood in the yard and watched the remains of the house as Martin moved through what was left of the basement. A ladder was set up near where the front door had been.

"Have you thought about where we're going to go?" Helen asked her daughter. "I would like to try to find out about Amy and Rita and...Mother."

"Then, I'm with you for that," Daria said.

"What about Martin? Will he be willing to come along for a search for strangers?"

The small brunette smiled and said, "I have a feeling that he'd follow me if I said we're going to the desert to live in a shack."

"Doesn't he have family he wants to find?"

Daria said nothing for several seconds, then said, "He has several uncles in West Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky, but he doesn't want to go to them. There is one aunt, his mother's sister, that he was close to. She's...probably dead, since she taught in Washington and was supposed to be on a field trip near there on Black Saturday."

Helen jumped as an ash-covered skillet came up and landed on the ground 10 feet from her.

"Hey!" Daria yelled. "Give us some warning, O.K.?"

Martin's head popped up. A blue bandanna covered his mouth and nose; it reminded Daria of a hold-up man from an old western movie. He pulled the bandanna down and said, "Sorry. I found the skillets, so stay back." He covered his mouth and nose again and he disappeared again.

Daria and Helen moved back and several more pieces of iron cookware came up and landed in the yard.

"Well, we have something to cook in," Helen said, "when we get another home."

Suddenly, a child's bank came up and landed at Daria's feet. She picked it up and looked it over. The bank was of a cartoon character, and it took her nearly a minute to recognize it as the bear from the Pizza Forest restaurant. Then she heard a sound from the basement and moved up to the edge. "Martin?" she asked.

The youth sat on a ladder rung, his face in his hands, as he cried.

"Martin, do you need help? What's wrong? Talk to me, please."

He looked up at her; tears ran from his eyes and caused the ashes on his face to run in small, dirty rivulets. He stood up and moved to near where she was. "I just turned six," he said. "Before Mom went...went nuts. They...they took me to Baltimore and to Pizza Forest. It was the happiest day of...of..." He broke down and started bawling again. 

Daria moved to the ladder, but Helen stopped her. "Martin," the older woman said firmly, yet gently, "come up here and take a break."

Martin climbed the ladder to the ground level and sat hard on the porch. Daria moved next to him and put her arm around him. He turned to her, laid his face in her shoulder and cried even more.

Helen took a canteen and moved up on Martin's other side. She patted his back gently and grimaced briefly at the ashes that covered him.

**oooooooooo**

Odell Jones heard the knock on his office door and frowned. He quickly clicked the home icon on his computer screen. Forever Kristie's blog disappeared and a Sunday School resource site appeared. He then smiled and walked to the door and opened it.

A muscular woman with short-cut blonde hair stood there. She wore the green fatigues common to the Marines and had the chevrons of an E-5 sergeant on her collar. "Mr. Odell Jones?" she asked, a straightforward expression on her face.

The deacon's face paled and he broke out in a sweat. He swallowed and said, "Uh...yes, I'm Odell Jones."

"We have some...things to discuss, Mr. Jones," the sergeant said and she smirked at him. "If I could come in?"

"I'm sorry," he said quickly as he recovered and stepped back. "Where are my manners?"

The woman's smirk widened as she glanced at him. "Oh, I don't know. After all, you haven't tried to look down my shirt...yet."

"I...I don't...I..."

"You don't do that?" She laughed and stood near his desk. "You are lying, Mr. Jones. But that's not what's important right now."

"You're not here to arrest me?" he blurted out and looked down.

The question seemed to shock the Marine. After several seconds, she laughed again. "No, I'm not," she finally said. "But you are...being watched. You are a crotch hair away from being hauled in front of the colonel. You don't want that. With that machete of his, he'd bone you like a chicken."

"Why are you here, sergeant?" Odell asked, a slight confidence showing in his tone.

"You and I have...common problems, Odell. I'm here to make a business proposition to you."

"Oh?"

"Do you have something to drink? Something adult and none of that idiotic fruit punch?"

Odell unlocked his filing cabinet and pulled out a bottle of vodka. "How's this for an adult drink?" he asked and smiled slightly.

"Grey Eyes, huh? Ahh, I prefer Stolichnaya myself. Beggars can't be choosers, though. That will do. Do you have any orange juice?" 

"Canned only."

"Good enough."

Odell mixed two screwdrivers and handed one glass to the Marine. As they sat down on opposite side of his desk, he said, "You mentioned a business proposition."

The woman sipped her drink and sighed in contentment. "Not bad," she said. "Not bad at all. Pretty good for a church man. Let's be frank, Odell. Your future here at Carthage is shot all to hell. Forever Kristie has seen to that."

The deacon sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, I know. Blasted, gossipy little twit."

She smiled. "Do you know who she is?"

He nodded. "Oh, yes. She's a 15-year-old member here. Her real name is Renee Andrews."

The sergeant's smile widened and she sipped more of her drink. "You know the nice thing about vodka?" she asked.

Odell snorted. "No booze breath after you drink it."

"Smart man. You have a photo of this 'Renee Andrews'?" 

He pulled a church directory out of a nearby bookcase and opened it to the first page of portraits. "Here she is."

The Marine looked at the photograph of the girl, who posed with her parents. She nodded. "Pretty girl. Nice face, nice hair. Can't tell much about her figure, but I bet that you can."

Odell blushed and said, "She has a good figure. Why?"

"She's going to be our meal ticket, Odell. When I said we have common problems, we really do. My...reputation is about to expire within this unit and I'll need to...leave, rather quickly. You will also need to leave. We'll take this 'Forever Kristie' with us and she'll be the first of many."

"The first of many what?" he asked. "What kind of business proposition are you talking about?"

"The oldest profession in the world, Odell. We take this girl, break her in and make her earn us a living. Then we get some more girls. This war has created a lot of lost children and there's a real market for young teen girls. We, you and I, can service this market."

The deacon felt himself get warm as a wave of nausea enveloped him. _This is immoral! _he thought. _Don't do this! _Then he wiped the sweat off his forehead and he said, "But...this is wrong. We can't do that."

The Marine smiled at him, but the smile didn't touch her eyes. "Don't you dare presume to lecture me about morals, Odell Jones. You forfeited any rights to do that the moment you stuck your hand inside the pants of a 13-year-old girl. Even more so when you made her...touch your...equipment, shall we say."

_It's too late. In for a penny, in for a pound. _"Why do you need me?"

"Simple. You're male and strong...and you like young girls. It's time for you to embrace your _true_ calling. Besides, you get to sample the goodies. Renee would be the first and I know that you'd love the chance to sample...and punish...her. Sounds better all the time, doesn't it? Or you can forget it and stay here with your _lovely_ wife, in this backwater church. You'll lose your position and your reputation, your marriage and maybe even your freedom, but hey, that's up to you."

In truth, Odell only took six seconds to decide. He threw his hand up to his face and covered his eyes. with it. "O.K.," he said. "I'm in. When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow. I'll let you know. What about those goons the girl mentioned in her blog? The ones who started that fight. One of them is your nephew. Are they useful as muscle?"

Odell snorted. "The way they got beat up, I'm not so sure. One's got a broken leg."

"Screw him, then. From what the girl wrote, those boys are safe here only because of you. My idea is to use them to guard the girls we get, collect anything we're owed from any deadbeats and just be useful. They can learn to fight better. I can teach them that myself. They made the mistake of going after someone prepared to defend himself." She finished the rest of her drink. "They need to embrace their true calling as well."

"I'll talk to them later, then. How are we going to get this girl? I've thought on it, but I can't figure out a way. She doesn't like me, as you already know, so getting near her isn't something I can easily do."

She smiled. "You let me handle that. I'll figure a way to entice her to where you and your boys will take her to your truck."

"Excuse me, sergeant, but you haven't told me your name yet."

"You're right, I didn't. Where are _my _manners? The name's Kerry Thompson. You and I are going to be rich, Odell Jones."

"How? Money isn't worth much nowadays."

She blinked at him and shook her head. "It's not worth much here, right now. There are still parts of the country that are untouched and life goes on, as normal as it can. You're out of touch here." She set the glass down on the desk, stood up and smiled as he did the same. "One last thing, Odell. I value loyalty from my subordinates."

The deacon frowned briefly when he realized that she was telling him that he was somehow...beneath her. But there was something about her expression that made him scared. _Oh, God, what have I done? _He cleared his throat and said, his voice shaky, "I value loyalty, too."

She moved up to him and nodded. Then she quickly grabbed his crotch and squeezed hard. "If you betray me, I'll rip off your cock and balls and shove them down your throat. Do I make myself clear?"

Odell gasped in pain and shook as she held him. "Very clear!" he said quickly

"Good. Never forget it." She released him and left the office.

**oooooooooo**

"O.K., I'm done," Martin said. "I'm coming up."

Daria braced the ladder and gasped as she saw her boyfriend lug a compact safe on his left shoulder as he climbed up the ladder. When he dropped it in the grass, she turned on him. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? That thing probably weighed 100 pounds! Think about your ankle, dammit!"

Martin bent over slightly and breathed heavy as he held his knees. "It weighs 85 pounds."

"There is rope in the garage. I would have gotten it, you could have tied it off and we could have pulled it together. Are you trying to hurt yourself?"

Helen watched the exchange in a slight amusement. It reminded her of the times she and Jake had clashed over some unnecessary risks he took.

"I've carried packs of shingles on my shoulders many times!" he protested and stood up fully. "I did it all summer three years ago. They weigh 80 pounds each!"

"You didn't have a broken ankle then, either, Martin. I love you, dammit, but don't scare me like that."

He blinked at her and said, "Sorry." 

"I don't want you to get hurt even more. I want you to heal up and be strong for us."

A sheepish smile covered his face and he said, "Will you forgive me?"

"Probably not." She lifted her glasses and covered her eyes. "Oh, I might as well. I'm only 17 and you're going to give me gray hairs, Martin Peters."

The net results of the salvage operation were one safe (the handle and combination dial melted), 10 iron skillets of assorted sizes, a child's bank and a charred hardcover copy of Nevil Shute's _On The Beach_.

Daria looked at the book as they carried the supplies in the garage. "Given the war and all, do you really want to read that book again?"

Martin shrugged. "It's mine. I'll replace it when I get a better copy."

After Martin took a quick shower and put back on his clothes, the three went back to the church in time for lunch. They joined Jane and the others for spaghetti and meat sauce with crackers and canned banana peppers on the side. The conversation, coffee, Ultra Cola and fruit punch flowed as they ate.

Daria smiled as Jane laughed at a joke Danny told and she suppressed a laugh at the surprised expression on Helen's face. She noticed Martin staring at her and raised an eyebrow in response.

"I'd like to do something after lunch," he said in a quiet voice.

Neither Helen nor Jane heard his comment, nor did anyone else. "Oh?" she asked, her voice as quiet as his was. "What is it?"

"It's a fantasy I want to fulfill," he replied.

"We should wait until we're alone to discuss this."

He took her left hand in his right and said, "You're going to think that it's silly." Then he pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

Daria shivered and smiled. "O.K. What is it?"

He smiled back. "I want us to dance."

"Dance?"

"I've never danced, Daria, except for the play kind that little kids normally do at times." He looked down at his empty plate. "I want us to dance...a slow dance...alone." He sighed. "I know it sounds silly."

She touched his face and he looked at her. "It's not silly," she said, leaned over, and kissed him. The smiled and kissed again. "My only question, however, is what kind of music do we dance to?" 

Martin relaxed slightly and said, "There are some CDs in the garage. Some are the easy listening kind."

"You mean elevator music?" she asked. "Some of that just burns me up hearing it."

"Yeah, but it's nice when you're sick and want to sleep. I got them for my 13th birthday from my grandmother. I put them up with some hard rock CDs I hid from Mom."

Daria finished the food on her plate and said, "Let's go, then." She then drank the rest of her cola. "I'm done."

Martin stood up and said, "Great."

Helen watched as Daria stood up with Martin and asked, "Where are you two going?"

"Martin and I are going to the garage for a bit. We're going to sort through some boxes, get belongings together."

"Alone?"

"Yes, Mom, we'll be alone."

"Daria, with those bullies threatening you, maybe I should go with you."

Daria patted the Colt Python in its holster. "Martin has his Glock and also carry back-ups. We are careful, Mom...in more ways than one. Don't worry."

Helen blushed. The teen smiled, kissed her mother's right cheek, took Martin's hand and the two lovers left the lunchroom.

Across the room, Tommy Jones stood up and moved to follow them.

Jane looked down and said, "Danny...Trent."

The two men stood up and got in front of the bully. "Going somewhere, Tommy?" Danny asked, his arms across his chest.

"It's none of your business, Smith!" the muscular youth said and moved to go around them.

Trent gripped Tommy's left shoulder - hard. "You should try the apple pie, _Tommy_. It's good for you. Good and healthy."

The boy grimaced in pain and gasped as he stared at the two men. He saw the threats in their eyes and recognized the double meaning of what Trent said to him. "I'll sit down! I'll sit down!"

Trent release him and the boy sat down quickly.

Danny turned to Tommy's friends and said, "Kenny, get some apple pie for yourself, Tommy and Carl. Then you three eat it - real slow."

Trent leaned forward and said, "Daria and Martin are my friends. I take what happens to them personally. Very personally."

Danny smiled as the pies were sat down on the table. "After you eat, sit there for awhile. Let your food settle down and digest. If you get up too soon, you might get hurt."

Jane walked up then and held up her .38 in her right hand. Helen and Pam flanked her, their hands on the butts of their holstered pistols. "Ignore the word 'might'," she said. "Substitute the word 'will' in its place."

The three bullies looked down at their pies and ate in fearful silence.

**oooooooooo**

Martin locked the garage door after they got inside. They embraced and kissed for several seconds.

"Where's the CDs?" Daria asked as she broke the embrace.

He moved to one spot under a loft area. "This box directly above me." He set up a ladder and climbed up slowly.

"Maybe you should let me do that," she said and put her hands behind her back.

He looked at her. "Why?"

"With your ankle still tender and balancing yourself with a box, you could fall. Besides, you lugged 85 pounds earlier. You're already overdoing it."

"Well, you could fall, too, Daria."

"Yeah, but you'd be there to catch me...or cushion me." She smirked at him. "Come on, boy, move your butt and let me up there."

Martin climbed back down and Daria moved up the ladder in his place.

As she pulled on the box, she felt his hands move up the back of her legs to her buttocks. He gripped her as she stopped and stood still.

Daria turned her head slightly, looked down at him and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm bracing you on the ladder, making sure you don't fall. After all, Daria, safety first."

She smiled. "Uh, huh." She got the box in her left hand, waited several seconds and finally said, "I'm ready to climb down now, Martin."

"Oh, sorry." He released her, but kept his hands close to her.

"Yeah, right." She climbed down slowly, the box still in her hand as Martin moved his hands to her sides. As she reached the floor, he moved his hands to her breasts and gripped her again.

"I suppose that this is for safety reasons again," she said and sighed.

"No," he admitted and lightly kissed her right ear. "This is definitely for my...our pleasure."

"O.K." she replied and leaned back against him. "Carry on." She closed her eyes as he continued to kiss her...and hold her. He moved her slightly and kissed her mouth.

When the kiss broke, she exhaled and whispered, "I thought we were going to dance."

"Oh, that's right, we were." He kissed her again. "That way we can get even closer."

"If we get any closer, Martin, I'll be behind you." She pulled back slightly and set the box down on the broken recliner. "We can go back to that in a little bit. I'd like to dance now, since you got me interested in it. But I'll choose the music. Get your CD player ready."

He set up the player on the hood of the F-150, while she rummaged through the box.

Daria held up one CD and said, "We can dance to this."

Martin paled when he saw that it was _The Downward Spiral _by Nine Inch Nails. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," she said and smiled widely. "We can specifically dance to the song _Closer_."

He swallowed and sighed. "There's a reason for the parental warning label on the CD."

"It can't be too bad, Martin, since _you_ own it."

"There's a reason I had it in a box, Daria," he said quickly. "After the first time I played it, I put it out here. If Mom found it and played it..."

Daria ignored him and put the disc in the player. She waited until the music started and said, "Let's dance, big boy."

Martin closed his eyes, took her in his arms and they began to dance slow.

"_You let me violate you_..."

"Ah, the lyrics of love," Daria said, and chuckled in Martin's ear. "You are turning redder than I've ever seen you get before."

At the sound of the first f-word, he winced and she chuckled again. They continued their slow dance.

"_My whole existence is flawed_..."

"We can make this 'our' song," she said and bit his earlobe lightly. "We can play it in front of the whole church and Mom."

He groaned. "You're enjoying yourself too much," he said.

"No, I'm not. After all, this is _your_ CD."

"You've heard the song before."

She bit his earlobe again, then kissed it. "Of course," she whispered. "I not only love you, but I love to see you squirm."

"I'm glad I'm entertaining you."

"You make me smile and laugh, Martin." She laid her head against his shoulder. "That's a winning combination."

"But what if I had failed the 'test' earlier? What then?"

They danced in silence for several seconds before she said, "My grading standards aren't that tough. Don't take them so seriously."

He kissed her forehead and when she looked up at him, kissed her lips.

The song ended and Daria pushed the stop button on the player. She removed the CD and pulled out an Enya CD. She put in in the player, then unbuttoned his shirt. "You wanted a chest-to-chest hug once," she said. "I want to dance slow again, to softer music, chest-to-chest." She pulled his shirt off his shoulders and arms and closed her eyes as he pulled her T-shirt up and over her head. He reached behind her back and attempted to unhook her bra, but failed.

After three attempts, she reached behind her and did it instead. She smiled at him, started the music and they moved together again. Slowly they danced as soft music filled the garage.

**oooooooooo**

Col. Kyle Armalin sat at his desk in the trailer outside the church and sipped on a bottle of root beer. He read over his daily report and took another sip. _Not the same as real draft root beer, but it'll do for now, _he thought.

A knock on the door made him look up and he said, "Enter."

A young male private first class came in and said, "Colonel, there's a Mr. Williams here to see you."

"Williams? One of the church members?"

"No, sir. All I know is that he just got here and he's a civilian from New England."

_Great. He's changed his name again. _Armalin raised one eyebrow. "How do you know where he's from?"

The private smiled. "When I was Camp Lejuene I dated a girl from New Hampshire, sir. She had the same kind of accent that he does."

"Very well, son. Send him in. Also, get Master Sergeant Horton and Gunnery Sergeant McCoy and send them in here."

"Yes, sir."

The private left and a tall, lanky man in a well cut business suit entered. He stretched out his hand and said, "Kyleton, it's good to see you again."

Armalin took the offered hand and the two men shook. "Uh, huh. I hope you have better news for me, this time. After all, the Hammersville trip ended up being a bust."

"That wasn't my fault. Besides, your actions with that so-called church..."

"It was a real church, Mr. 'Williams'. Make no mistake about it. They just had their heads up their asses."

"...well, Kyleton, let's just say, you nailed Hammersville just right and they served as a good example of what not to do in a crisis." He smiled at the Marine. "How do you like it here in BFE?"

"As good as can be expected, Mr. 'Williams.'" He sighed. "Can't you at least keep the same name for a year or so? I'm ready to call you Joe Bob Betty by now. Or Kilroy."

"Please, my name is George. This time, that is. Besides, I do not question the general. She tells me to jump and I ask HALO or HAHO?" He smiled. "I see you have your root beer stash. What brand name this time? Payday? Big K? Goose Island?"

"Stewart's. Well, I'm waiting. What's the news?"

"I figured you'd want to wait on your two sergeants. That way I can debrief all three of you and answer any questions you might have."

Just then, the two non-coms knocked and entered the office. When the door was shut, the civilian turned on the TV to CNN and turned on a radio as well and spread a map out on a nearby conference table. The four men leaned in close.

Williams pointed at one spot on the map and said, "This is Carthage, gentlemen. Your target is this spot here." He pointed at a reference. "Twenty miles away at map reference 17-Alpha. It is the hideout of Brethren of the Long March."

"Marxists," Armalin said and snorted.

"More accurately, Maoists," Williams said. "So far, CNN and the other networks are convinced that the raid on the lab at Fort Detrick was the work of a criminal gang, though one blog has speculated that it was an Arab terrorist group. It was actually the work of the BLM."

"How many bogeys are there?" one of the sergeants asked.

"Fifteen," Williams answered. "At the height of their power, they numbered nearly a hundred. We rounded up most of them right after Black Saturday, along with members of the Communist Youth Thought League, the Soviet America Brigade and Red Menace. Twenty of them died in a failed raid at a chemical weapon disposal facility in Newport, Indiana. They found a Navy SEAL team there waiting for them. After those two raids, all chemical and biological research, storage and disposal facilities have been locked down and heavily guarded."

The gunnery sergeant looked down for a second, then said, "Sir? There's more than four Communist groups in this country."

"That's right, sergeant, there are. Most of them are also scared shitless right now. We're watching them as well and their turns are coming. Don't worry about that."

Armalin said, "The coordinates you specified are on a backroad. Outsiders would stand out like a sore thumb in that kind of country."

"The property has been in the same family since West Virginia split from Virginia during the Civil War," Williams said. "The current owner, Armstrong Morgan, is one of the leaders of the BLM, which he co-founded while in college. The neighbors thought that he was growing dope or making moonshine there and his security precautions keep them scared them off. They were right as far as dope growing goes. They used the profits to fund 'the revolution.'"

Williams smiled at them and continued, "Your orders are to go in with an 11-man team. Tonight at 2210 hours. Wipe them off the face of the earth. Upon...disposal of the people, we'll come in and take over."

"Kind of last minute for this kind of thing," Armalin pointed out. "I like to be prepared."

Williams said, "Just by virtue of your continuous training, Kyleton, you and your men already outclass them. You go in with that machete of yours and start lobbing off heads and the rest will shit their pants." He handed them a folder of photos. "Aerial photographs of the property. Two Pave Low choppers will take you in, while three Apaches will wait with the rest of us."

"Why not just use those Apaches to blast them into atoms?"

"I see that subtlety is still your forte. We want to see their...papers. Make sure that you kill them before they can destroy anything. The Apaches will handle...any attempted escapees."

**oooooooooo**

Music continued to play, but Daria and Martin were laying side-by-side in the back of the pickup truck. After their last kiss broke, they hugged and held onto each other. "I have a question for you," she said.

"Yes?"

"It's about Sarah."

Martin tensed, laid his head on her shoulder and asked, "What about her?"

Daria broke the hug, ran her right index finger over the top of his chest and asked, "How much...how far did you two go?"

A few seconds passed, and he said, "I took her to Cumberland once."

"You know what I'm talking about, Martin."

"It doesn't really matter, Daria. Not anymore." He looked away from her.

She pulled his chin back and stared up into his face. "It does matter. I really want to know." He said nothing and she moved her face closer to his. "You did say that there were no secrets between us. Since we are intimate, I think I have a right to know about your...experience."

Martin blushed and sighed. "You'll get mad, or jealous."

"No I won't!" She looked at him. "You two did more than we have?"

He nodded, took a deep breath and said, "Here goes. We were naked together once. We didn't touch, however, or even kiss."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Sarah feared that once we started...touching...we wouldn't be able to stop ourselves." He shook his head. "She was probably right."

"You want to do that with me?" she asked.

"I want to do more than that," he admitted. "But then, you already know that." He stroked her left cheek and they kissed. "I'd like to wait until we leave Carthage, however. This place, this area, has too many...memories. Besides, I want it to be in some room other than this garage."

"O.K." Daria kissed him and ran her fingers over his back. "I look forward to it."


	39. Chapter 39

Odell Jones jumped when his office door opened without warning; he quickly clicked the home icon on his computer screen and the website he had been looking at disappeared.

Kerry Thompson laughed at him as she stood in the doorway. "Really, Odell, if you're going to look at porn sites, at least lock your office door."

"What do you need, _Sergeant_?" he asked as his face turned beet red.

"Where do the teens and young adults get together to screw? Assuming that they don't have a house or vehicle they can use?"

The deacon thought for a second and replied, "The rumor is that they go in the back of the cemetery. Since that isn't a part of the church property, we don't interfere, though if the caretakers wanted to do something about it, the...lovers could be charged with trespass. Why?"

The blonde smiled and said, "Tomorrow around 1300 hours..."

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "One o'clock, you idiot. You and your two goons be waiting there. I'll bring 'Forever Kristie' to you and you three will take her to your truck or whatever vehicle you'll be using. If it's a van, that would be great."

"It's a truck, but it has a camper shell," he said and a leer appeared on his face. "I look forward to it."

"Keep in mind that you can't kill her."

"What would the fun be in that?" he asked. "I have 'other' plans for her."

She nodded and smiled. "You'll be a good associate, Odell. I can't wait to see how 'creative' you are. One thing. Be ready to go no later than 2 p.m., because by sundown, I want to be in North Carolina."

"Why there?"

Kerry leaned against the doorframe. "We're headed to Raleigh first. Lots of refugees there from the outskirts of Norfolk, and plenty of...young teens to take advantage of. Do you have any questions?"

"Not yet."

"See you tomorrow at 1 p.m."

"I'm looking forward to it."

**oooooooooo**

Daria laid on her right side facing Martin and said, "I still get...amazed at what we're doing."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

She moved her left hand over his chest to his belly, then rested it on his midriff. "If I was told the day before Black Saturday that in six weeks I'd be topless in the back of a pickup with some guy I didn't even know yet...I would have either laughed my head off or kicked them. Probably both."

Martin took her hand, pulled it to his face and kissed it gently, then gripped it. He looked at her and smiled. "Does what we've done bother you?"

For a few seconds, Daria closed her eyes and laid her head on his left arm. Finally, she kissed his bicep and said, "No. This may sound odd, but it feels perfectly natural...to me." She looked up into his eyes and asked, "But does what we've done bother _you_? After all, we aren't exactly being...chaste."

He touched the left side of her face and ran his hand down her neck to her shoulder. "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and it will have all been a mirage. Sometimes when I hold you, I'm afraid that you will slip through my hands, like a shadow, like a dream."

Daria nodded and kissed him. "Interesting Odysseus reference. You also didn't answer my question."

"It doesn't bother me," he said. "I could pull your jeans and panties off right now and it wouldn't bother me. We could go all the way right now and the only thing that would bother me would be if I would hurt you...or disappointed you. The fact that it doesn't bother me...confuses me." He moved his arm around her and moved his face right in front of hers. "By how I've been raised and what I've been taught, I should have never seen your breasts nor touched them until you were my 'lawfully wedded' wife. Apparently, I've rejected that teaching."

She nodded in thought and scratched her side briefly. "Are you familiar with Robert A. Heinlein?" she asked.

"_Starship Troopers_? Of course."

She moved her body up against his and their embrace became tighter. "Before he died he wrote a novel titled _Friday_. One of the lines in it went something like this: 'Geniuses and supergeniuses make their own rules for sex. They do not follow the monkey customs of their lessers.'"

"I'm no genius," he said, "and when I think of supergeniuses, I think of Wile E. Coyote."

Daria chuckled and kissed his shoulder, then his neck. "Neither you nor I are average, Martin Peters. Were you ever called 'Egghead'? I was as a young child, and many times thereafter."

"'Bookworm' was the insult of choice for me," he said. "For a year, I was called 'The Bastard Bookworm of Carthage'. That stopped when Dad became supervisor at his factory. He put pressure on the fathers of the kids calling me that, since he was now their boss." He sighed. "You know, I hate school and I hate the memories I have. It makes me want to scream."

"Not in my ear, please." She looked at his shoulder and added, "Tell me something. Did you ever touch Sarah's breasts, like you do mine?"

"A few times," he admitted. "We had just gotten to that stage of our relationship when...she dumped me. That time we were nude together? That happened one week before it all ended."

"Did you kiss them?"

Martin looked at Daria in silence for several seconds and shook his head. "No. You are the only one I've ever done that to."

She smiled and pushed his head down to her chest. "Good. You know what to do then."

**oooooooooo**

Odell walked into the lunchroom and saw Tommy and his buddies eating pie at their table while being watched by Helen and the others in her party. "What are you three doing?"

"We're eating pie," Tommy said and glared at the other group. "They threatened us, Uncle Odell."

"Why?"

"I was just going to follow Martin and his cu...girlfriend around and bug them. That's all."

The deacon's expression darkened and he stared at his nephew. "Leave them alone."

The teen gave his uncle a defiant look and the other two boys watched them. "I owe him for my broken nose! I will get him back for it, no matter what you tell me. You're not my dad!" 

Suddenly, Odell gripped Tommy's throat tightly and whispered fiercely, "You will show me the proper respect, boy. Your daddy left me in charge of you and if I have to beat the hell out of you, I will. Trust me, if you anger me, I'll make what Martin did to you feel like kisses from a girl. You understand me?"

The teen's eyes bulged. "Yessir!"

The deacon's glare went to Tommy's two friends. "The same goes for you two. All of you will leave them alone." He centered his gaze on Carl. "You take it easy and let your leg heal."

"Yes, sir," he said.

Odell looked at Tommy and Kenny. "You two have a job to do. Come with me."

"What?" Tommy asked loudly. "I don't want to do anything!"

The deacon grabbed his nephew's right ear and yanked him out of the chair. Kenny quickly got up, fear evident on his face, and the three left the lunchroom.

"Wonder what that was about?" Jane asked from across the room.

"I'd say he got tired of their shenanigans," Danny said and walked his fingers across her back.

"What plans do you two have this afternoon?" Helen asked as she stood up.

Jane smirked. "I'm supposed to pose for a painting."

Helen looked at Danny. "Oh, you're an artist, too?"

He nodded. "I was hoping to go to someplace like New York or Boston and maybe study or something. I saved up enough money, but then Black Saturday happened and..." He shook his head and Jane patted his back gently.

"What are you going to do, Helen?" Pam asked.

The older woman shrugged. "Part of me wants to go to Martin's garage, but I don't want to...upset Daria. I'll...help in the kitchen, or something. " She looked at Jane. "You and Daria look and act much older than you did before..."

"Daria and I took care of each other before we got here," Jane said. "A few times, it got really scary."

"Daria told me about it."

"Did she tell you about having to sew me up?"

"What?" Helen asked, her eyes widely opened.

Jane nodded. "One guy shot at me and Daria killed him. The bullet he fired grazed my arm." She rolled up her sleeve and showed everyone the scar. "After it was over, Daria cleaned my injury and sewed me up."

"What did she use for anesthetic?" Helen looked over the scar and shivered at the thought of what Daria had done.

"We didn't have any."

"Whoa," Trent said. "Both of you just earned more cool points with me."

The teen stuck her tongue out at him. "It's just like that Rambo movie, where he sewed up his own arm."

Helen sighed and looked at Jane. "You two must have nerves of steel, that's all I can say. I don't think I could do it."

"It didn't feel good at the time, I can tell you that." Jane shrugged. "We both learned what we could do if we had to."

**oooooooooo**

Odell took the two boys outside and said quietly, "We're leaving here tomorrow afternoon. Be ready to go right after lunch."

"Why are we leaving?" Tommy asked. "Not that I'm complaining. I hate it here."

The deacon looked at them. "We've got a job and we need to be away from here to do it."

"What kind of job?" Kenny asked.

"I'll tell you more about that tomorrow."

"We're taking Carl, aren't we?" Tommy asked.

Odell shook his head. "We may have to move quickly and he'll only slow us up." He looked at them both gravely. "I'll be honest with you two here. The other church leaders and a lot of the members have had it with you two. I figured that you could use a change of scenery."

"I could use a piece of ass," Tommy said and smirked.

"Watch your language while you're here!" Odell said fiercely. "Both of you keep quiet about this and take your stuff to my place. Get the truck ready."

"Why can't I pay Martin back for what he did?"

The older man looked at his nephew in exasperation and said, "Go ahead and get him. Then Daria's mother will kill you. I can assure you that if Martin doesn't kill you first, she will, and the Marines will do nothing to stop them. Now, if you two do as I say and keep your heads down and your mouths shut, I will see to it that you have some...female company by tomorrow night. Don't ask me any questions about that, but we'll have two..._ladies_ with us when we leave."

The two boys smiled and nodded in approval.

**oooooooooo**

"You know, you're different than most girls," Martin said.

Daria frowned and tensed up. "Are you saying that I don't have the same dreams and concerns that others girls do?"

"No."

"O.K., then what are you saying?"

He stroked her back and said, "For the last seven years, I've watched how people interacted with each other. I've watched how friends acted together and how lovers acted, as well..."

"Pervert," she said and smirked.

"Ha, ha," he said. "I know I'm somewhat awkward. I've watched others while being totally left out of it. My best friend moved away when I was 10, Daria. Until Sarah came along, I was alone."

"How does that make _me_ different?"

"You and Jane responded to me, you talked with me. After I lost Sarah, you two were the first ones to treat me..." He closed his eyes and sighed loudly.

"Martin?"

"Sorry. You two were the first to treat me as a person. But you alone make me feel...special."

"Didn't Sarah make you feel special?"

He shook his head. "It's not the same. I can't explain it, but I feel that I can tell you anything. I trust you with my life and I could not say that about Sarah." He smiled at her. "How do you see me?"

The question caught Daria by surprise. She blinked as she thought it over and said, "On the one hand, you have a little boy lost quality to you..."

"Oh, really?" It was plain from his expression that he didn't like the description.

She nodded. "Your fear of me being a dream ties into that. On the other hand, you have an independent, defiant streak to you. Kind of like you're as mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore."

"I never saw that movie," he said and nodded. "But I do know who Howard Beale is and I like that line. But that can't be all of it."

Daria kissed him and laid her head on his shoulder. "You're strong, but tender. Your touch sends shivers down my spine sometimes. I feel...safe and comfortable in your arms. I feel as if I can tell you anything. You weren't afraid to ask me to be your girlfriend, despite the fact that you knew that your mother would disapprove. I liked that."

"Now, what about me...irritates you."

"Your tendency to hide when things get rough," she said quickly.

"I've fought that."

"Yes, you have, and I'm glad. I think you will...hide things from me, considering your stashes."

"Most of my stashes are ashes right now, Daria."

"Do you have anymore out here?"

He nodded. "It really doesn't matter anymore."

"Oh, is it more nudes, like Miss January?"

Martin sighed and said, "That's the only nudes I do have. I did have some pictures of a few women in their underwear, but they...were in the house. "What's out here...isn't worth much now."

"What is it?"

"About $1,500 in cash."

Daria looked up at his face. "Why didn't you keep it in the bank?"

"I started saving it when I was 11. Part of my allowance went into it, plus most of what I made on odd jobs. I had a bank account when I was younger, but my parents cleaned it out when they remodeled the house. They never paid me back, except a few bucks here and there. I was afraid that if I put it in the bank, they'd take it again, so I hid it. I was going to have it when I left for college."

"We'll take it with us, then, honey. It may still come in handy and I have some money, too." She sat up and stretched. "If I don't get up, I'll fall asleep in your arms."

"I'd love that," he said and smiled. "I'd love to spend the whole night beside you...part of it asleep."

Daria playfully hit his left arm. "We need to get up and actually sort through something out here," she said. "After all, Mom will want to know of our...progress, plus we actually need to decide what we're taking with us when we leave."

Martin sat up and stretched as well, then climbed out of the truck. He helped Daria to the ground and they hugged. "Most of the stuff out here is useless knick-knacks. But there are a few boxes we can go through."

"Oh?"

He moved to the loft area and pointed at three cardboard boxes. "The first one has some of my books, the second one has something of Dad's that I want and the third has blankets."

Daria moved the ladder and climbed up. Once again, Martin braced her by holding her buttocks and she looked down at him. "You know, one day, we'll be in a library together. I'll climb a ladder to get a book, you'll do that, then get us thrown out."

"What if I just pull your pants down instead?" he asked.

"That would mean instant death."

He reached around the front of her jeans and undid the button.

"Martin..."

Calmly, he unzipped the jeans and pulled them down to her knees. Then he whistled at her and smiled.

"You are so dead when I get down, boy."

He looked up at her face and said, "You saw me in my underwear, and turnabout is fair play." He looked back at her panties and said, "And I do like what I see."

"Pull my pants up, please. I don't want to fall off the ladder."

He pulled her jeans back, zipped them up and buttoned them. "How's that?"

"You didn't 'offer' _to give me a hand _like I did you." She smirked at him.

Martin thought for a second and said, "I would, but I don't know what to do."

Daria brought a box down, handed it to him and put her hands on her hips. "I won't kill you yet, then. I will...teach you...and give you a chance to redeem yourself."

"I'll be a good student. Does that mean I'm the teacher's pet?"

She rolled her eyes and climbed back up the ladder. Within a minute, she brought down the other two boxes and they had them opened on the workbench.

Martin dug through one box as Daria looked over the books in another box.

"These are mostly children's books," she said.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "There may be something in there that we can give to Pam's girls, you know."

Daria pulled out a hardcover copy of _Black Beauty _and her face went pale as she stared at it.

Martin saw her expression and gasped as he saw a tear run down her right cheek. "Daria? What's wrong?"

She looked at him and her mouth dropped open. She shook her head, closed her mouth and said, "A memory. A memory from my childhood." She took off her glasses and wiped her eyes, then sat on the recliner.

He moved near her and touched her right shoulder. "Was it a bad memory?"

"I...I caused a fight between my parents," she said. "I could hear the fight from my bedroom and went to my play house to read _Black Beauty_. My copy was just like this one."

"Your play house?"

She swallowed and stared at the book. "It was a refrigerator box I had colored on and had a front door to. It was my sanctuary." More tears ran down her cheeks. "I miss my Dad. I miss Quinn." She laid the book on her lap and covered her face with her hands.

For several seconds, Martin stared at her as she cried, then carefully got on his knees beside her. He touched her right shoulder again; she turned and buried her face in his shoulder. Tears ran from his own eyes as she cried on him.

**oooooooooo**

It was nearly dinner time when Daria and Martin arrived back at the church. He carried a Japanese katana and several books. She held the copy of _Black Beauty _tightly in her right hand and held his right arm with her other hand.

"Thank you for letting me have this," she said.

"Anything of mine is yours, Daria," he replied.

She cleared her throat and gave him a weak smile. "O.K., I'll sell your truck, then."

He returned her smile and they quickly hugged before going back inside.

Trent saw them and approached. "Hey, man, that's a cool katana. Where'd you get it?"

"My Dad got it in Japan," Martin said. "He was in the Air Force Reserve and went to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa during his one of his two-week stints." He held up the books. "Do you think the girls will like these?"

Trent looked over the books and nodded. "They love it when I read to them. Thanks, you two. I was running out of books to read here."

**oooooooooo**

At 10 p.m., as everyone settled down for the night, the sound of helicopters outside brought everyone up and caused quite a bit of anxiety. The church's watches were brought inside the church by armed Marines and Rev. Harris asked a gunnery sergeant, "What's going on here? Why are our guards inside?"

"Colonel Armalin's orders, sir," the non-com answered. "Nobody's allowed outside for the rest of the night. "Phone service will be disconnected and there will be no computer use as well."

"That doesn't make sense, sergeant."

"I don't ask questions, sir. I just follow my orders. I do know that it's safer in here for you and your people. We'll stay in here with you just to...keep order while you folks sleep."

Daria moved next to Martin near their sleeping spaces and shivered. "I don't think I like this," she said. "What do you think is going on?"

"I don't know," he replied and put his arm around her. "Something they don't want us to know about."

"Or interfere with," she whispered and looked at him. "I'm going to lie next to you. I think I'll feel safer that way."

The two teens laid down, each in their own sleeping bags, but next to each other.

Helen moved on the other side of Daria and laid down as well. "Don't worry about this," she whispered to the two. "I saw this happen at the Frederick County Fairgrounds a few times. They're going to...take care of some problems."

"What do you mean?" Daria asked, her voice still a whisper.

"Since Black Saturday, domestic terrorist groups have been...eliminated, one by one. When they find where a group's hiding...they kill them."

Daria pushed back against Martin and shivered as she thought about it. He moved his arm in front of her and held her securely.

**oooooooooo**

One man stood outside the house and smoked a marijuana cigarette as he looked out over the countryside. Everyone at the house was tense and had been for several hours. Even the normal animal sounds one heard at night wasn't present. _Stupid ass kids again_, he thought. _Trying to steal our dope._

He thought he heard the sound of a spitting duck and fell onto his knees hard. The cigarette fell from his lips and he stared at the holes that suddenly appeared in his chest. When he tried to scream, blood ran from his mouth and he fell onto the ground.

"What's going on, Todd?" a man asked from a darkened doorway. He saw the flash of moonlight on a machete blade, then saw nothing else as his head and his body fell in different directions.

"We're being raided!" a voice yelled from inside the house. "Fight back! Fi---" His words were cut off by more of the spitting sounds.

One man made it to a car, started it and tore out of the driveway like he was racing at Indianapolis. Before he made it a quarter of a mile, a rocket streaked in from somewhere in the east and the vehicle exploded in a ball of flame.

Kyle Armalin, wearing night vision gear, recognized the face of Armstrong Morgan from his picture. The man tried to load an SKS in the dark and did a bad job of it. He swung the machete at the homegrown Maoist quickly. The leader of the BLM dropped his weapon as his head left his body.

The raid took less than three minutes and the property was lit up by the searchlights affixed to several helicopters.

Armalin met "George Williams" outside the house and said, "You told me that there were only 15 of them left, Williams! There were 21 on the grounds."

The civilian looked at him and asked, "You killed them all, didn't you?"

"That's not the point! If we hadn't been ready for surprises such as this, they could have massacred us!"

"I'm sorry, Kyleton, I'm sorry. If you'll remember right, I told you that you outclassed them. I'll relay your complaints to the general, if you wish. I'm sure she can suggest something to you."

Armalin shook his head and looked as the bodies were carried out. "Never mind."

Williams looked at the five decapitated bodies and threw Armalin a sly look. "Only five?" he asked. "You losing your touch, Kyleton?"

The Marine rolled his eyes and walked off.

**oooooooooo**

The next day, discussion of what had happened the night before was discouraged, but it was whispered about from person to person anyway.

Renee Andrews decided that Forever Kristie would avoid this topic. She had already heard that her blog had the government's attention and she wasn't about to screw things up with _them_.

Instead, her most recent entry dealt with how handsome many of the young Marines were in their uniforms and on how Odell was walking on egg shells with so many tough guys around the church.

She hooked up her computer at the outdoor phone jack and uploaded her entry as she normally did.

After taking care of blog business, she walked back towards the church.

"Excuse me," a female voice said near her and she turned around to see a muscular blonde woman who looked to be a Marine sergeant.

"Yes?" the teen asked.

The Marine looked around and asked, "Can I ask you a question? It's kind of embarrassing, but I really need to know."

The girl smiled and said, "I'll be glad to help you, if I can. Just the least I can do for a member of the military."

Kerry Thompson returned the girl's smile and said, "My boyfriend and I need someplace where we can be alone, you know, to talk and maybe kiss for a few minutes. Do you know someplace around here we can do that? We don't want other people around us, you know?"

"Oh, sure," Renee said and nodded. "I know a perfect place. I just hope that graveyards don't creep you out."

"Not at all," the Marine said. "Can you take me there?"

"Sure. Let me put up my laptop and you can follow me."

When the girl came back outside, she led the blonde towards the cemetery.


	40. Chapter 40

(Some nine hours before Renee Andrews encountered Kerry Thompson)

Martin Peters opened his eyes and looked ahead. He could hear the footsteps of the Marine sentries as they moved through the hallway. Like he did five times before, he looked up at the clock and read the time. _5:13...this time_.

He looked down at the floor and sighed. _I would get up, but I'm not in the mood to explain myself to someone_.

Somewhere behind him, someone snored lightly. _Possibly Daria's mom. _He smiled briefly. _I think she's accepted me_.

The realization hit him that having Helen's acceptance also meant he now had someone else to push his buttons. _Win some, lose some_, he thought with a smile.

_Domestic terrorist groups have been...eliminated, one by one._

For some reason, his thoughts kept going back to that. _Probably why I can't sleep worth a crap._

He blinked and sighed again.

_When they find where a group's hiding...they kill them_.

Quietly, Martin pulled his Glock out of its holster under his bookbag and looked it over in the darkness. _I wonder how they define the word 'terrorist.'_

He slid the weapon back into its holster, turned over and found himself face to face with Daria, whose eyes were wide open. She stared at him, no expression on her face and her features...tired.

"I see that you play with your...gun...while you're in bed," she whispered. "Is that what I have to look forward to?"

He smiled and narrowed his eyes. "I'd rather _you_ play with it," he whispered back. "I can find...other things...under _your_ clothes...to play with."

"You keep waking up, and going back to sleep," she said looked away from his face briefly. "Me, I can't sleep at all. I find myself...deeply scared."

"Me, too."

"But you've been able to sleep some. I haven't. I...I've killed four men, Martin. Does that make me a terrorist? If so, in _whose_ eyes?"

He kissed her briefly and said, "'We're making a list, and checking it twice. We're going to find out who's naughty or nice.'"

Daria shivered. "That's not funny."

"Do you see me laughing? From what your mother said, that's exactly what they're doing."

She opened her sleeping bag halfway and did the same to his, then moved up against him. With her eyes closed, she moved her face into his left shoulder and wrapped her right arm around his back. "Hold me." He pulled her sleeping bag against her back, wrapped his left arm around her, then his right arm, too. "I feel safe in your arms, Martin. Protect me."

"With my life," he whispered into her hair. He felt her left hand touch his skin at the base of his neck.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he whispered back.

They said nothing more and after a few minutes, Martin detected a change in her breathing and smiled as she snored briefly. He kept a hold of her as she slept.

**oooooooooo**

It was nearly 6:30 when Helen awoke and sat up in her sleeping bag. She suppressed a groan and stretched. "I need a bed," she muttered and glanced over at Daria. To her surprise, Daria and Martin were asleep in an embrace. Daria's head laid on Martin's right arm and his nose was in her hair.

She debated waking Daria, but decided against it. The presence of the armed Marines inside the church had made a lot of the people tense and Daria was no exception. She suspected that Daria lost a lot of sleep. As she got up, she stretched again and felt a tug on her nightshirt.

Helen turned to see Amber Garrett standing there. "Auntie Helen, I have to go," the little girl said.

The older woman smiled. Ever since Jane told the girls to call her Auntie Helen the day before, they had. She looked quickly to see that everyone else was still asleep. "O.K.," she said quietly. "Let's be quiet, O.K.? Let everyone else sleep."

The little girl nodded and the two held hands as they walked towards the bathroom.

**oooooooooo**

_Daria sat up in her bedroom and looked around. Same padded walls, same TV without a remote, same cheese model, everything all the same. She got up and walked to a window. It was a normal Spring morning in Lawndale and she sighed. She walked to the hallway and stepped out. Quinn stood there, looked at her and said, "I missed you, Sis."_

"_Huh?" Daria asked, and her eyes raised in shock as Quinn hugged her. "What's this about?"_

_The redhead broke the hug and smiled at her. "Take care of Mom...and your new boyfriend, too."_

_Daria felt herself blush and Quinn laughed._

"_I can't believe you offered to do that for him, Daria," she said and shook her head. "Then you go and ask him about...relieving you, as well. Tsk, tsk. You should play a little harder to get than that."_

"_Quinn!"_

"_Take care of Jane, too, Daria." She kissed the older teen's left cheek. "You're the center."_

"_What?"_

"_You are the center, the brains. Mom's the experience, Jane's the force and your boyfriend, Martin, is the strength. But you are the center of it all. You'll understand...you'll understand. You already know it inside."_

"_Where's...where's Dad?"_

"_I'm right here, kiddo!"_

_Suddenly, Daria was hugged from behind and lifted up as if she were a kewpie doll. "Dad!"_

_He sat her down and she turned and hugged him tightly. She cried and he patted her back gently. "There, there, it's O.K. It's O.K."_

"_I miss you, Dad."_

"_I know, Daria. I know. Take care of your mother for me. I'm sorry I left her that way, but...it was my time."_

"_I wish you could have met...Martin. Both of you."_

"_If he's good enough for you, kiddo, he's good enough for Quinn and me."_

_She broke the hug and turned to Quinn, but she wasn't there. Then she turned back to Jake and he was gone, too._

_The sounds of nature coming in shocked her and she turned to see a broken window and a the curtain, torn and flowing in the breeze._

_She walked back into her room and it now had the look of a hurried searching. From the window, she looked outside and saw an upside down car on the street in front of the house and the remains of a newspaper blowing around. A light sound could be heard and she tried to hear what it said._

"_...is a restricted area! If you are found here by military forces, you will be shot on sight! This is a restricted area! If you are found here by..."_

_She left the bedroom and found the skeletal remains of an animal on the stairway. A scream escaped her mouth as she backed up._

**oooooooooo**

Daria opened her eyes and a strangled cry escaped her lips. She looked around in panic and realized that she was still in Martin's arms. She buried her face in his shirt and cried silently.

Martin stirred, moved his left hand over her back and asked, "Daria? What's wrong?"

"I dreamed about Quinn and Dad," she said.

He rubbed her back gently and kissed the top of her head.

"I...told them about you and Quinn teased me," she said and sniffled.

"Why don't we get up?" he asked.

"Because I like laying here like this."

"O.K. My right arm is asleep. The last time that happened I ended up hitting myself in the face and got a bloody nose."

"Ouch."

"The neat thing was I felt nothing in my arm when I did it."

She smiled, sat up and grimaced. "Ugh. I slobbered."

He sat up as well and stretched. "I've noticed that you do that around me. It's nice to see I have that kind of effect on you."

She put on her glasses and gave him a small smile. "Let me get my boots on. You can feel...other effects in special ways."

Martin stood up and waited until she got her boots on. He helped her up and grimaced as she stepped on his right foot with just a slight pressure. 

"Ooops!" Daria said and smirked at him. "Sorry about that. You didn't need those toes, did you?"

"We're going to need the wheelchair again."

"Well, there was a...a spider! That's it! A spider was near your foot and I had to get it before it got you."

He smiled at her and said, his voice quieter, "Keep it up, cutie, and I'll show you my version of the 'itsy-bitsy spider'."

Daria blinked and smiled at him. "Is that what you call it?" she whispered and glanced down at his pants.

Martin blushed, closed his eyes and smacked his face with one hand. "Ahhh! I walked right into that one!"

"Actually, you limped into it, gimpy."

He gave her a wounded look. "I can't walk. You'll have to carry me to the lunchroom."

She showed him her right index fingernail and thumbnail. "These will help you walk."

"Oh? How's that?"

A wicked smile crossed her face. "I haven't trimmed them in awhile." She pinched them together. "Now imagine something...delicate...between them as I do this."

Martin grimaced and Daria laughed, then kissed his left cheek. "Let's take care of our morning routines," she said, "then get some food, shall we?"

He returned her kiss and nodded. They left the sleeping areas.

**oooooooooo**

In the lunchroom, Daria and Martin sat with bowls of cereal, with fruit brought in by the Marines.

Jane came in, her eyes half closed. She plopped down on Martin's left side, looked at them and said, "Ughhh."

"Good morning to you, too," he said and smiled. He handed her a banana and said, "You'll need this."

The teen looked at the fruit and said, "I'd tell you where to put that, but you and Daria already probably do that."

"Jane!" Daria said and glared at her. "You do need some coffee. So don't make me pour it on you."

Martin got up, poured a cup of coffee and set it down in front of Jane. "Remember to sip, not gulp."

Jane growled and took the cup up to her lips.

As Martin sat back down, Amber and Vickie ran by, followed closely by Pam. "Where's Trent?" he asked.

"Do you really have to ask that one?" the young mother said and stopped, but smiled. "If I don't watch these two, they'll go and wake him up. Have fun!" She ran off after the girls.

"You should know by now that we Lanes love our sleep," Jane said, her eyes still half closed.

"Oh, I do," he said.

"They love to snore, too," Daria added.

"How about drool?" Martin asked and smirked at his girlfriend. "I know someone who's good at that."

Daria blushed and said, "I hate you."

Jane snickered and sipped more of her coffee.

Just then, a woman in a flannel gown wiped down a nearby table. "How are you kids doing?" she asked.

"Just fine, Mrs. Cooper," Martin said. It wasn't unusual to see people in gowns, robes or pajamas during breakfast at the rescue center, but he felt slightly uncomfortable seeing her like that, anyway.

"Yeah, Martin's _trying _to behave - and failing - as usual," Daria added. "How are you doing?"

"Trying to keep busy." She moved to their table. "If I may...?"

Daria and Martin lifted their cereal bowls and Jane lifted her coffee cup and the older woman bent over and wiped down the table. The gown neckline fell down and all three got a view of Mrs. Cooper they didn't quite expect for the next 30 seconds.

As she stood back up, she fixed her gaze on Martin's stunned face and said, "If you need _anything..._let me know." Then she walked off, her hips swaying slightly as she moved.

Daria and Jane looked at each other, their mouths opened in shock. Martin closed his eyes and whispered, "Oh. My. God."

"You don't have to worry about putting a camera up in her shower," Daria whispered in his right ear. "I can't believe she let us...mainly you...see her tits like that."

"I saw more than that," he whispered back. "I saw everything down to her knees. She had no panties on, either."

"I saw it all, too," Jane whispered, now fully awake. She grimaced. "I cannot 'unsee' that. Dammit!"

"What just happened here?" Martin asked.

"Please don't tell me you're _that_ dense," Daria said. "You know damn well what just happened."

"But why did it happen? She knows that you and I are together, and very close."

"She just showed you a full relief map of the goodies," Jane said.

"And she just let you know that she wants you," Daria added. "Welcome to the cafeteria, Martin. Please make your selection and pay the cashier."

Martin shivered and placed his hands over his face. "I made my selection." He looked at Daria. "I made my choice."

Daria crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you sure? After all, I'm certain that she can teach you things I can't. Plus, she's built better than I am."

He stood up. "I want to go for a walk."

"Are you going to hide?" Daria asked quickly.

Martin looked as if he had been slapped. His right hand had been extended towards his girlfriend, but when she said that, he pulled it back. "I was expecting you to join me," he said. "But if you don't want to, fine. Stay here and be a snide instead." He turned and walked away.

Daria blushed, looked down at the table and closed her eyes. _ I didn't mean to do that, I didn't mean to do that_, Jane hit her and when she looked, her taller friend pointed at him and mouthed, _Don't let him go! _"Martin..." she called out.

He stopped, stood still for several seconds and then turned around.

"I didn't mean..." she started to say.

"Come with me," he interrupted her and extended his right hand.

The auburn-haired teen quickly got up and moved to him. "I'm sorry," she said and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry, too."

"You didn't do anything," she said.

"I called you a snide." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I shouldn't have done that." They smiled at each other weakly and walked outside. The Marines appeared to be busy at something, but ignored the teens as they walked around the building slowly.

"I don't want her," Martin finally said as they rounded a corner.

"She is beautiful," Daria pointed out. "She's certainly prettier than I am."

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. At least that's what I've been taught, and I believe it." They stopped and he faced her. "Yes, she is beautiful, but so are you. But looks are only a part of it. After all, I know some really beautiful harpies out there."

"You once told me that you wanted to watch her in the shower, remember?"

"I was also alone then. I'm not alone now. I have made an emotional investment in you, Daria, just as you did in me. If I...if I gave all that up for her...I'd be a real fool." He sighed and looked down. "It was cruel and mean of her to do that to you."

Daria hugged him and held onto him. "It was an insult to you, really," she pointed out.

"Oh? How so?"

"She thinks that if she shows you her body, you'll dump me and run to her. That means she thinks that you're shallow. At least, that's how I see it."

"I see," he said quietly. "I would rather watch you in the shower, anyway."

She grinned and closed her eyes. "You do have a shower at the garage..."

"That I do." He smiled. "I would definitely enjoy seeing that."

Daria looked up at him. "You'll get your chance later on, _if _you're good."

"I wonder if I can borrow a Polaroid camera from someone."

She opened her eyes and suppressed a chuckle. _You dirty boy. _"You would not only die a painful, horrible death, but you would also break the camera." She lightly punched his right arm. "But nobody would know _that _because the camera would be shoved up your ass before you died."

"Have I ever told you that I'll be good?"

"I'm still waiting for that one to happen."

**oooooooooo**

Daria sighed in relief as Kathy Wilson withdrew the needle. "Finally!" she said and smiled at Helen and Martin, who waited across the room.

"That is it," Kathy said and smiled. "Your last rabies shot, Daria. Congratulations." She made a notation in a record.

Benji snuck around a table and moved quietly towards Daria. Martin saw him and pointed the dog out to Helen.

"What is he--" Helen started to ask as the dog quickly mounted Daria's right leg and started riding it. "Oh."

"Stop it!" Daria yelled out. "You dog pervert!"

Kathy grabbed her wayward mutt and looked apologetically at her patient. "There is something he likes about you, Daria. Something that gets his attention."

The teen shook her head. "If it's not squirrel perverts, then it's dog perverts!" She shuddered.

"What?" the other three asked in unison.

"Nothing," Daria said, then looked at Martin. "If you tell Jane about this, I'll shoot you."

"Daria!" Helen said.

"Oh, Jane..." Martin called out.

"I'm serious, Peters!" Daria warned him.

He gave her a sheepish look. "I'll be good."

"That will be the day," she replied and gave him a small smile in return.

"Really, Daria," Helen said, "it's just an overly affectionate dog."

Jane knocked and opened the door, then walked into the room. She asked, "What happened, Daria? Benji tried to hump your leg again?"

Martin laughed and Jane joined in.

Daria looked from her best friend to her boyfriend, sighed and said, "I think I'll shoot both of you."

Helen and Kathy looked at each other and shook their heads.

**oooooooooo**

During lunch, Martin looked at Daria and said, "Seeing this ham and potatoes dish just reminded me of one more stash I need to take care of before we leave."

Daria set her fork down, sighed and shook her head. "Just how many more stashes do you have?"

"This is one that I set up in case I was stuck in the woods during a storm," he said quickly. "You remember where we were the time Jane blew up the squirrel?"

"Somewhat. Is it near there?"

He nodded. "Actually, it's a cave about 10 feet off the ground near there. It was a hunting shelter I used during thunderstorms. I have a box of food there."

She grimaced. "Would it even be good anymore? With animals and the elements and all?"

"It should be," he replied. "They're the civilian version of MREs, ten or eleven meals. They're in a very sturdy box. I want to get them after lunch."

Daria nodded. "O.K. Now what other stashes do you have? I want to know, right now."

"There are no other stashes," he said quickly. Then he smiled and said, "Well, there are those nudes I took of you while you were asleep. I have them hidden along with one of your bras and a few of your hairs---Ow!"

Daria pinched his left earlobe. "You want me to kick your ass, you say?" she whispered. "Why not? Don't say you'll be good, either."

"I'll be decent, how's that?"

She shook her head and kept a hold of his ear.

"You're my master, how's that?"

"And..."

"I'll do anything you say!"

"And..."

"Everything of mine is yours!"

"And..."

"I'm yours!"

Daria released his ear and kissed him. "Don't you forget it, either."

Jane walked up then; her face appeared troubled. "Where are you two going after lunch?" she asked.

"Martin has one more stash to get. We'll get that and come back here."

"Danny and I will come with you."

Daria looked at her and said, "We can do this alone, Jane."

"No."

There was silence for several seconds and Daria asked, "What's wrong?"

The tall runner looked confused and said, "Something's not...right, Daria. I...feel it, but I can't explain it. I just know that we have to go with you."

"Maybe we shouldn't go at all, then," Martin suggested.

"No, we have to go," Jane said quickly. "Please, don't ask me to explain this. You have to do this and we have to go with you."

"Very well," Daria said. "We'll go together. Shall we be armed for bear?"

"At least," her friend replied and started to walk to the sleeping area. She turned back around. "More likely, we need to be armed for humans." She left them alone then.

Daria and Martin stared at her back in silence and he quickly gulped down his fruit punch. "I am now officially creeped out."

"This has happened before," she said. "I don't understand it, but Jane has...sensed danger before it happened."

"Kinda like Spidey-sense, huh?" he asked, a grin on his face.

Daria shook her head and whispered, "She said something once about being an empath. I just took it as hyperbole at the time."

Martin sighed and shook his head. "I don't generally believe in psychic phenomena, but I'll bet that Jane can assemble puzzles faster than the rest of us can."

She looked at him, then leaned on his arm. "I don't know. All I know is that I'll feel better when we get back to the church."

**oooooooooo**

"I really appreciate this," Kerry Thompson said to Renee Andrews as they walked into the cemetery. "Do you and your boyfriend come here?"

The teen blushed and shook her head. "Oh, I don't have a boyfriend...now." They approached a crypt with the name "Grimsdale" on it. "Behind this crypt is pretty isolated, though it helps if you have a friend keep watch while you...kiss and stuff." The teen giggled.

The Marine smiled and they walked around the back of the crypt.

Suddenly, Renee was grabbed by Tommy and Kenny, who came out from the bushes, followed by Odell. Her shocked cry was cut off and the two boys held her tightly as she struggled in vain to free herself.

Tommy nodded at Kerry, who stood next to Odell, and said, "What about her?"

"She's our new boss, boys. What she says, do it!"

Kenny copped a feel on the girl and laughed; she tried to scream, but he held his hand tightly on her mouth. "Let's take her, right here and now!" he said.

"No," Kerry said.

"Up yours," the teen said. "I'm getting laid, right now!"

The Marine suddenly stuck the tip of a wicked looking knife blade just under Kenny's left eye. "Everyone gets one mistake with me. You just had yours. The next time, I'll cut out your eye."

"Yes, ma'am!" he said, terror in his voice.

Kerry pulled her knife back and smiled. "Don't worry. You'll get her later, after Odell and I...break her in."

Renee looked in terror from one to the other, then groaned as Odell approached her. He pulled an oily rag out of his back pocket. The hand came off her mouth and he shoved the rag in it quickly before she could yell, while the Marine tied another cloth around her mouth as well.

"Hold her arms tightly!" Odell ordered. "Keep her on her feet!" As the two boys tightened their hold on her, he smiled at her. "So I'm loud, obnoxious and mean, huh?" He rammed his right fist into the girl's belly and she tried to bend over as she cried out. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head up. Tears poured out of her eyes. "You're going to find out just how mean I really am, girl." Then he stepped back and looked at Kerry.

"Tie her arms together," she ordered. "Then get her to the truck and toss her in the back. One of you get in the back with her and guard her...closely! The other be behind the wheel and wait for us. Odell and I will get anything else we may need and will join you no later than two o'clock." The Marine and the deacon walked off, but she stopped and looked back at them. "Do nothing to her until I say you can. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," the two boys said in unison, then pulled the girl's arms behind her back.

**oooooooooo**

Martin led the way as Daria, Jane, Danny, Trent, Pam and Helen walked into the woods. "I thought it was just going to be four of us," he said to Daria, who was right behind him.

"Safety in numbers, Martin," Jane said loudly. She carried not only her .357, but held the AK-47 in her arms and also had the .10 gauge slung over her shoulder.

In addition to her sidearm, Daria held her double-barreled .12-gauge in her hands and had the .30-06 slung over her shoulder.

Trent carried the .44 Magnum in his right hand and Pam carried a .257 Roberts deer rifle that had belonged to one of the raiders. Helen held one of her .45's in her hand and the other stayed in its holster on her left hip.

Martin carried his Glock in its shoulder holster and a .20-gauge pump shotgun that had also belonged to one of the raiders. He sighed and said, "I hope I don't feel silly after all this."

"Martin," Jane added. "Didn't you say that during a hunt we shouldn't talk much?"

He quickly looked back at her to respond, but stopped when he saw how serious her expression was. _Something has spooked her, but what?_

They walked on into the hills.

**oooooooooo**

Renee struggled all the way to the truck. Part of the way, the boys carried her by her jeans and her arms, but she kicked at them when they did that.

By the time they reached the truck, Kenny slapped the girl hard and she fell against the tailgate.

"Better not do that again," Tommy warned as he caught his breath. "That Marine cunt's a real hard-ass."

"I'll show her 'hard'," Kenny muttered and opened the tailgate.

The two picked up the girl and tossed her into the back.

"I'll sit in here with her," Kenny said.

"Don't do anything," Tommy told him.

"I'm just going to tell her what we _will _do, so shut the hell up! Why are you acting like a pansy?"

Tommy glared at him. "Uncle Odell can kick my ass all over the holler if he wanted to. Well, if he's taking orders from her, then she can do worse. You dumb shit, Marines can kill with their hands. She could probably break your arms without even trying. I'm going to do what she says. You should, too." He then went to the cab and got behind the wheel.

Kenny looked at him briefly, snorted, then leered at the crying teen. He grabbed her left thigh, squeezed it and said, "Guess what we're going to do to you, you little bitch..."

**oooooooooo**

The group looked up at the cave as Jane quickly moved up into it, using several different natural hand holds as she climbed.

After a couple of minutes, she poked her head out the opening and said, "Hey, I can see a long way out of here."

"It's a good lookout point," Martin said. "I used it for a deer stand before. It's real comfortable."

**oooooooooo**

Tommy sipped on a bottle of Fizzy Gulp as he waited behind the wheel. "Come on, Uncle Odell," he muttered. "Let's get this show on the road."

He heard the girl's muffled cries, and Kenny as he told the girl, in explicit detail, what he wanted to do to her. Then the girl's cries became more intense and he turned around to see his partner pull the girl's pants down.

As he got to the back of the truck, Kenny tossed the jeans aside, pinned her legs with his left knee and said, "I'll show you! I'll show you!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Tommy yelled at him. "We're supposed to wait for Uncle Odell and the Marine!"

Kenny was furious and held up his right index finger. Blood oozed from a bite mark on it. "The little cunt bit me!"

"Why'd you stick your finger in her mouth for, dumbass?"

"Shut up, Tommy! I'm gonna teach her a lesson." He reached for her panties.

Tommy grabbed his partner, pulled him away from the girl and shoved him back. "I said to wait, dammit!"

Kenny looked at his friend, fury in his eyes. He grabbed his pistol and Tommy grabbed for his at the same time. Both drew, cocked their weapons and fired at each other.

Kenny fell to the ground and laid still, a portion of his head missing; blood and gore decorated the ground where he laid.

Tommy Jones looked dumbly at the hole in the right side of his chest. He then looked at Renee, who stared at him in terrified shock. He staggered to his right, tripped over a tree root and rolled down a hill. His body stopped at an oak tree and laid still.

The girl tried several times to free her hands. She breathed through her nose as she tried to calm herself down. In the distance, she heard Odell yell out, "TOMMY! What's going on?"

_Thank God he didn't take my shoes off! _The girl scooted herself to the end of the tailgate, stood uncertainly for a couple of seconds and ran into the woods.

**oooooooooo**

"What was that?" Daria asked.

"Sounded like a loud gunshot," Helen said. "Where did it come from?"

Then they heard Odell's voice yell out. Jane got to the ground and Trent held the box as they looked at each other.

"I think we better check it out," Daria said.

Martin moved forward into point position and said, "Odell's place is this way. Come on." He tightened his hold on the shotgun as he moved. The others moved behind him.

**oooooooooo**

"Shit!" Kerry Thompson said as she looked over the scene. She saw the girl's jeans on the ground and glared at her partner. "Oh, this is just lovely, Odell."

"Look!" he said and pointed into the woods. "There she is!"

"Let's get her and get the hell out of here! We can get more goons elsewhere." They ran after the girl.

**oooooooooo**

Renee heard her pursuers as they closed the distance towards her. Tears flowed from her eyes as she ran; she prayed as she cried. _Please, God, don't let them get me! Don't let them get me!_

**oooooooooo**

"Something's ahead," Martin said and held up his hand. "Hold on a second." He moved forward slowly.

Suddenly, Renee Andrews emerged from around a hill and froze at the sight of Martin and his party.

"Renee!" he said and temporarily froze as well. Then he saw Odell and a female Marine come up, guns in their hands. He grabbed the girl's arms, pulled her around him and yelled, "Daria! Take her!"

Odell raised his pistol and fired at Martin. His head swung around and he fell back against a tree.

"Martin!" Daria yelled as she pulled the girl behind a rock with her. Everyone else quickly sought cover; Danny pulled Helen behind a tall oak tree, while Trent and Pam dove down behind a fallen log. Jane moved carefully forward, her assault rifle ready in her hands.

Her boyfriend moved behind the tree, but Daria could see blood run from his scalp. "I'm O.K., I'm O.K.," he yelled.

"You're hit!"

He blinked and shook his head. "I'm just a bit addled, that's all."

The Marine fired a shotgun at the group and Odell fired twice more at Martin's position.

Suddenly Jane popped up and burned a clip in their direction.

"We need to get out of here," Odell said quietly to Kerry as Jane fired at them.

The blond looked at Martin's position and asked, "You got enough rounds to pin them down?"

"I have two more clips and extra rounds in my pocket," he replied.

"Good," she said and pulled her knife out. "Keep them down so I can get to that boy. I'll gut him and we'll run while they try and save him."

As Jane reloaded, Odell fired in the group's direction several more times.

Helen and Trent fired back after that and took cover again.

Kerry carefully closed the distance between herself and Martin.

Daria saw the movement and yelled, "Martin! Watch out."

He turned as the Marine rose up, the knife in her right hand. He brought up the shotgun, but she quickly slashed his left hand and arm and he dropped it with a cry of pain.

The teen backed up as she slashed at him; Odell fired at the others to keep them pinned down. 

Martin pulled the Glock out of the holster, but the woman hit his hand with the hilt of the knife and the firearm fell to the ground. Then she slashed downward with the blade.

As he moved back, he tripped over a rock and fell; the knife made contact with his chest and he screamed as she cut into him.

Daria saw Martin fall and the blood as the knife cut across his chest. She saw the bloodthirsty look on the woman's face as he landed on the ground. A bullet whizzed by the teen's head, but she didn't flinch. She saw the woman adjust the knife in her hand, then jump up to ram it into his belly.

Quickly, she lifted her Colt Python, cocked it and fired. She yelled as she fired again and again; suddenly, she was pulled down by Helen, who had crawled up to her. Daria shook and looked at the Marine's body. Four bullet holes covered her chest and she laid still on the ground.

Odell still fired at them. Helen unbound the girl's arms and Daria removed the gag from her mouth.

"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou..." the girl said as she gulped in air and hugged the older woman.

"You just relax," Helen said and winced as a bullet struck the rock and veered away. "We'll get you away."

Daria looked back at Martin. He laid on the ground, his arms over his chest. She could see him move, but from his expression, he was in a lot of pain.

**oooooooooo**

"Damn it!" Odell muttered as he saw Kerry fall onto her back. He ducked down as Jane emptied another clip at him. He felt a tug at his jeans and looked at a bullet hole that appeared near his left knee. When she stopped firing, the others fired at him. He looked behind him, but there was no clear way to escape them.

**oooooooooo**

"Col. Armalin!" a gunnery sergeant came into his office as he met with the chaplain and senior corpsman.

"What is it, Sergeant?"

"Roving patrol just reported a gunfight two miles south-southwest of here, sir."

He stood up. "Get Bravo Squad out there now! Have the patrol wait until Bravo Squad reaches them. Go to alert status here until we find out what's going on."

"Yes, sir!" 

**oooooooooo**

Renee came up beside Daria. "Get back!" the older teen ordered her.

"Let me help!" the 15-year-old said.

Daria glanced at the girl's bare legs and shook her head. "We're armed and you're just a target." She winced as a bullet struck the tree behind them and showered them with splinters.

"Give me a pistol!" Renee insisted. "I'm gonna shoot that filthy pervert!"

Daria pulled her .38 out of her jacket and asked, "Do you know how to shoot this?"

In response, the younger girl jumped to her feet, aimed at Odell and screamed as she fired one shot after another at him.

**oooooooooo**

Odell saw Renee pop up from behind the boulder and said, "Oh, shit." Then he fell back as she fired. One bullet hit the inside of his upper right thigh and he stared at it in shock. "I surrender!" he yelled. "I'm hit! Don't shoot anymore!"

"Toss your weapon out!" Jane ordered him as Daria and Helen yanked the girl back down. "If we see anything but skin in your hands, you're dead, asshole!"

The man threw his weapon away from him and said, "Help me! I'm bleeding." He cupped his hands over his crotch and groaned.

As Jane, Danny and Trent approached the wounded man, Daria ran over to Martin and knelt by his left side.

He shook as he held onto his chest tightly.

She tried to pull his arms loose, but couldn't. "Martin!" she said loudly. "Let me look!"

The boy looked up at her through tear-blurred eyes, "Daria..."

Helen moved to his right side, knelt down and said, "Daria, take his left arm and I'll take his right." Together they pulled his arms off of his chest. "Get his shirt open."

The teen's hands shook as she loosened the top button.

"Sweetie," Helen said and the girl looked at her. "His shirt is ruined. Tear it open."

Daria blushed, grabbed the shirt in both hands and tore it open.

Martin took a deep breath, hissed in pain and closed his eyes.

"Martin!" she said loudly. "Don't you leave me! You stay with me!"

He opened his eyes and stared at her. "I need a vacation," he said and coughed. "You still owe me..." He looked at Helen. "...you know what you owe me. I intend to collect."

The older woman looked at him, then up at her daughter, her eyebrows raised.

"Private joke, Mom," Daria lied and looked away from her.

"How bad is it?" he asked. "It hurts like mad!"

She looked his chest over and felt Renee at her side. Danny had taken off his jacket and the younger girl tied it around her waist. "You have an eight-to-ten inch gash over your chest." She swallowed and looked up at him. "That...woman...tried to slash open your belly, honey."

"EVERYONE FREEZE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! NOW!"

Armed Marines converged on the scene and everyone stayed still as guns were aimed at them.

Col. Armalin walked up, his machete in his right hand. Daria and Renee stared at the weapon with their eyes wide open. He looked over at Odell, then at Kerry and Martin and sighed. Corpsmen moved to the two injured as he shook his head. "Mrs. Morgendorffer," he said to Helen. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"

She stood up fully. As a corporal moved to stop her, Armalin waved him off. "That dead Marine and 'Mr.' Jones were chasing this girl, Colonel. They had her pants off and we merely acted to save her."

"She's telling the truth, sir," Renee said. "That woman and Odell Jones said they were going to...break me in." She shuddered.

The Marine C.O. turned and asked a corpsman treated Martin. "How bad is he?"

"He has a possible concussion, his left hand and arm are cut and he has a long gash across his chest, sir," the young woman replied. Behind her several Marines waited as another brought a stretcher up to them.

Armalin turned to the corpsman treating Odell. "Well, how is he?"

The corpsman, a man in his thirties looked up, a smile on his face. "Someone shot off his right ball, sir."

"What?"

"Whoever shot him took his nut right off." The corpsman chuckled. 

"That isn't funny!" Odell yelled up at him. "These people lied about me and tried to kill me!"

"Get him out of here," Armalin ordered. "Gag him if you have to. Let the others have their weapons back."

Jane smiled at a Marine as he handed her the AK-47, then moved up to Daria, who holstered her .357. "Well, Daria, looks like he's only got one bullet for his gun now - hey, wait a minute..."

"Don't say it, Jane..."

"He's 'One-Shell Odell' now!" She, Pam and Renee laughed, Daria groaned and Helen suppressed a chuckle. Danny and Trent grimaced and shuddered at the joke.

Martin and Odell were each carried up the hill by several Marines and the others followed them. Other Marines waited with Kerry Thompson's body for a body bag.


	41. Chapter 41

Daria followed Martin's stretcher as he was carried in the medical trailer that the corpsmen used as an emergency room. Kathy Wilson waited there and said, "Get him on the table."

A Marine moved to block Daria and said, "You'll have to leave."

"But he's my boyfriend!" Daria protested. "Let me be with him."

"I'm sorry, miss, but you can't come in here."

"No," Kathy said as she walked up to them. "I will need her here. She'll be just fine, Corporal."

"Yes, ma'am," the Marine replied and backed off.

The other Marines held the stretcher level with the table and Martin was moved onto the examining table.

Kathy motioned to a chair near Martin's head and said, "You sit there, Daria."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Just wait." The doctor moved up to Martin, a small flashlight in her right hand. She looked in his right eye with the flashlight briefly and then did the same thing with his left. "Why are you in here, Martin?" she asked.

"I'm hurt."

Daria looked up at Kathy, then back at Martin. _I think that's kind of obvious. Don't you?_

"Tell me how you are hurt, Martin. What happened to you out there?"

"Odell shot at my head," he said, took a deep breath and swallowed. "The bullet hit me, but it must not have been too bad. But I have a really bad headache."

Kathy examined the wound carefully. "I'm not surprised," she said. "What else happened?"

"My chest was cut and so was my hand and arm."

"Which one?"

"My left one. Can't you see it?"

"Yes, Martin, I can see it. How is your brother, Steve, doing?"

Daria blinked in confusion and gawked at Kathy. "What?" she asked.

"I don't have a brother," Martin said. "I'm an only child."

Kathy motioned at Daria to come up to them. She did and the doctor asked Martin, "Who is this?"

"Daria. My girlfriend." He smiled. "I love her."

Daria smiled.

"Do you like her mother, Jane?"

"Kathy, what are you doing?" he asked. "You know that Jane is Daria's best friend. Daria's mom is named Helen."

The doctor said, "I just want to see how bad your head wound is. You seem to have your wits about you. I haven't seen any signs of brain damage - yet." She looked at Daria and said, "You can wait outside now if you want. We're going to be busy sewing him up and you may not want to watch."

"Can I stay here with him?" the teen asked. "Seeing that won't bother me. I've seen it before."

Kathy nodded. "Sure. Just sit by his head. You can talk with him and keep him calm."

"Thank you." She sat down again and pulled the chair up closer to the table.

**oooooooooo**

"I demand that I be treated first!" Odell Jones yelled from his stretcher. "Those...those hooligans attacked me and incited that girl to shoot me!"

Col. Armalin dismissed two Marines who were talking with him and moved over to the bound deacon. "My Marines just found the bodies of two teens at your house, Mr. Jones. From the looks of it, they shot each other. Can you explain that?"

"They did it! The Peters boy, that Morgendorffer girl and their friends. They've been out to get us since she and her boyfriend had sex in the church!"

"I suppose that they had the girl take her pants off and leave them there as well, huh?" The Marine gave him a tight smile.

Odell closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "I don't know what you're talking about, Colonel. But I am innocent!"

"Then maybe you can explain what you and one of my Marines were doing out there to get into a gunfight with that group of people." Armalin moved his face closer to his. "I'm really curious about that one."

"I told her that I was being harassed by the Morgendorffer women and their friends and she was helping me investigate it." Odell told the lie smoothly, but from the Marine's expression, it was obvious that he didn't believe it.

"Sgt. Thompson was under suspicion for various crimes, as are you. One of which was the rape of a 16-year-old girl while our unit was in Pennsylvania. Interesting how like attracts like, isn't it?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"I suppose that you didn't molest a 13-year-old girl, either," Armalin said.

"NO, I DIDN'T!" Odell breathed harder. "Those blog entries were lies just to get me."

"What about the fake phone plugs?" he asked. "Did you have anything to do with those?"

"You have no right to question me like this!" the deacon yelled. "I am a pillar of this church!"

Armalin looked at the man with contempt. "If that's the case, I'd say the church needs a major renovation." He walked off and left the injured man alone.

**oooooooooo**

Martin closed his eyes as his chest wound was prepped for suturing. He took a deep breath and shivered.

"I'm right here, honey," Daria said and kissed his left shoulder. She ran the fingers of her right hand through his hair and kissed his left ear then.

When the first needle went into him, he grimaced and swallowed. A tear ran from his left eye and he spoke, his voice a whisper.

Daria looked at him in confusion and leaned closer. As she listened, she recognized that he was quoting the 23rd Psalm. She gently stroked his head as he whispered. Then she touched the right side of her face to the left side of his and closed her eyes.

**oooooooooo**

Chief Fenton, the senior corpsman, took Renee Andrews to a side room and had her sit on an examining table. "How are you feeling?" she asked the teen.

"I'm still shaking from everything," the girl replied, her voice excited. "I shot that pervert! I shot him good!" She laughed nervously and shivered. "I feel like running! I feel like screaming! I feel like crying!"

"You're on an adrenaline high right now," the corpsman said. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and have you try and relax. You don't appear to be injured, but were you hurt? Physically?"

"That Kenny freak...he slapped me and...touched me. He had no right to touch me like that." The girl frowned and looked down. "But Odell, he punched my belly and pulled my hair."

"Did any of them sexually penetrate you?"

The girl blushed and her chin quivered. "No. But Kenny told me everything they _were_ gonna do." She took a couple of deep breaths as she shivered and tears ran from her eyes. "If I hadn't escaped and Martin and Daria hadn't been there..." She closed her eyes and suppressed a sob.

The corpsman touched her left arm gently and the girl looked up at her. "You did escape and your friends were there to help. Don't think of what _could_ have happened. Think about what did happen." She smiled at her. "Why don't you lay on the table here and I'll see about getting you a pair of pants? Is there anyone you'd like to see?"

"My mom," the girl said quickly. "I want my mom."

"I'll get her," the Navy chief promised her and left the room.

**oooooooooo**

As the last bandage was put on Martin's injuries, Kathy looked at Daria and said, "I want to keep him overnight for observation. He is young and strong, yes, but he just needs to lay down and rest."

"May I stay beside him?" the teen asked.

The doctor smiled and nodded. "Yes. That will do both him and you some good."

"Thank you, Kathy," Daria said and returned her smile. "You've treated us both very well. I don't know how we could ever repay you."

"I'll write you two up a bill," Kathy responded and laughed at Daria's expression. "You and Jane are a bad example on me. And I'm not complaining. The best way you two could repay me is to love each other and be patient with one another."

"The way he keeps getting hurt...he's trying my patience."

"Men are good at trying patience, believe me, Daria. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look in on Renee and take care of a heathen."

**oooooooooo**

When Odell was brought into the emergency room, he was laid on the table and medics removed his pants and underwear. He saw the smirk on Kathy's face and said, "I bet you couldn't wait, can you?"

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "For your information, Odell Jones, I am a medical doctor and I am bound by the Hippocratic Oath." She leaned close to his face. "Otherwise, I'd cut the other nut right off." Then she turned to put on sterile latex gloves. "You know, though, Odell, I'm wondering just what you would have done to Daria had you gotten her outside and alone that one night. I can say this much. Martin would have killed you...if Daria didn't first."

"I meant seeing my manhood," he said, a frown on his face. "I've seen how you looked at me in the past."

Kathy raised one eyebrow and the corpsmen with her waited for her response. "May God forgive me for saying this, but considering that you're a complete and total dickhead, I've already seen what you have. I'm not impressed." She moved closer to the table. "Keep in mind that I have two options in treating you and your mouth will determine which one I choose."

"What...what options?" he asked. His voice betrayed his nervousness.

"I can sew you up, much like I did Martin," she said, "or I can cauterize you. Keep up the smart comments and I'll choose the hot option."

Odell let out a whine and one of the corpsmen grimaced at the image of her threat being carried out.

Kathy set up an IV and shook her head. "Wimp," she muttered and turned to work on him.

**oooooooooo**

Odell Jones woke up and looked around. _I passed out in the examining room,_ he thought. He remembered the needle with the anesthetic being administered in his privates and shuddered. _That hurt so damned bad!_

_I'm in a private room. Nice and comfortable._ He looked at the IV pole and bag with its constant drip and groaned as the pain from his crotch registered in his mind.

The door opened and a male corpsman looked in on him. "I see that you're awake," the Navy sailor said and smirked at him. "You have visitors."

"I..." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to see anyone."

"You don't have that option," a deep voice said loudly. Odell looked up to see Col. Armalin walk in, followed by Rev. Harris and the other two deacons. The look on their faces was cold, to a man, and his own face flushed.

_Oh, crap._ "I have been set up bad, Jack," he said quickly. "I'm the victim of a nasty smear campaign. You have to believe me."

The preacher sighed and said, "I want to read two things to you. First, 'I will order her to strip. Slowly. Except for her eyeglasses. I want her to see it all: My hot body, her nakedness, her humiliation and her submission. Whenever Martin...whenever Martin...' I'm not saying _that _word. "...her, I want her to see my face instead of his.'"

_Oh, hell, they found my journal,_ Odell thought and closed his eyes.

"Next, 'Renee will be the first. I can already hear her scream as I climb on top of her. I can't wait to see Kerry take her. I also can't wait to hear that little...beg for a salvation that will never come for her.'"

"Aren't you going to say that Martin or Daria put those entries on your computer?" Jimmy Smith asked, his voice sarcastic. "Or that whole entry your wrote about Melissa? You were rather descriptive about what you wanted to do to her. She's not into bondage and you aren't her type, Odell, so forget about it."

Harris sat down beside Odell's bed. "You have done immense damage to our church," he said. "Probably irreparable, especially to our reputation in the county. I now understand why Mike Carpenter chased me and Glen off with a gun. After what you did to Danielle, we were blessed that he didn't shoot us. You're lucky he didn't call the police on you. Or kill you."

"That reminds me," Armalin said and crossed his arms over his chest, "we had to restrain both Peter and Carol Andrews. They want to have an up-close and personal discussion with you over what you did to their daughter. Mrs. Andrews said something about cutting off all your protruding parts and making you eat them."

"I want a lawyer," Odell said and closed his eyes. "I have nothing more to say."

"The beautiful thing about martial law is that sometimes, decisions are left in a C.O.'s hands," the Marine said. "You shot at innocent people, you injured a young man and you plotted the kidnapping and rape of a young girl. You have the right to a hearing. Tomorrow morning at 0830 hours. You will be judged, Odell, and you may find that Sgt. Thompson got off easy compared to you."

"Odell, it's not too late to talk about your soul," Harris said. "You've obviously put on a good act and fooled us, but you need to get on the right track now. Before it's too late."

"You have no right to judge me!" Odell spat out. "None of you! I'm as good as any of you."

"Now's as good a time as any to tell you this," Harris said and sighed again. He stood up. "You've not only been stripped of your position as deacon in this church, but you are now no longer a member of Carthage United Methodist Church. You are not welcome here anymore."

"What about Nora?" the former deacon asked loudly. "Where's my wife? She'll tell you how honorable I am!"

"She's at the altar right now," Jimmy said, "praying for your soul. If you're smart, you'll do the same thing."

"I am innocent! It's that Martin Peters and those outsiders who should be thrown out of the church! Not me!"

"That's another thing," Harris said. "You lied to us about Martin and Daria. I believed you and now I'm forced to admit that I may have driven him away from his church and his God. Not only that, but my own witness to Daria, her mother and her friends has been destroyed. All because you had lust for a girl young enough to be your daughter." He shook his head. "That...failure on my part will haunt me for the rest of my life." Then his voice took on a sarcastic tone. "Thank you. I hope it was worth it."

The men looked at him and shook their heads. Armalin's face showed his disgust and the church leaders looked at him sadly. When the visitors left, the corpsman came back in. With a smirk on his face, he asked, "Can I get you anything, 'One-Shell Odell'?"

"What did you call me?"

"One-Shell Odell. Everyone here knows it by now."

"You will call me 'Mister' Jones, you little punk!"

"You're a bastard, One-Shell. If you want anything from me, I suggest you be real nice."

**oooooooooo**

_The battle took off in earnest, with Odell grazing his head with a bullet. Martin felt the blood run down his face as he told Daria that he was only addled._

_Then that blonde Marine came at him with a knife. She cut his left arm and hand and he dropped the shotgun. Then she knocked his Glock out of his hand. Her next slash went straight across his belly and he watched in horror as his internal parts came out of his body._

_He screamed and fell on his back, as Jane emptied a clip from her assault rifle into the two criminals. They fell to the ground, dead._

"_HELP ME!" he screamed as Daria rushed to his side and fell to her knees._

"_Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God," she kept saying. "Martin...I..." Tears flowed from her eyes and she cried._

_As his vision went white, he heard Daria wail and she cried out, "I love you, Martin!" Then everything went dark._

**oooooooooo**

It was nearly five p.m. when Martin took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Ohhhh," he moaned and opened his eyes.

Daria sat up in her chair, set the book aside and stood up. She moved over to him, touched his left shoulder and said, "I'm right here, honey."

He touched his belly quickly, felt around on the gown in confusion and looked up at Daria. "What...what happened to me?" he asked.

"You don't remember?"

"I don't know if I was dreaming...it felt so real...that woman...that woman. She cut open my belly and everything fell out. It felt so real. I screamed...and fell onto my back. Jane killed her and Odell and you were crying over me and everything went white."

Daria kissed his forehead, his cheeks, then his lips. "That was a dream, Martin. A very horrible dream." She saw his right hand move up and grabbed it with her left hand. "Here's what happened. Odell shot at you and grazed your head with a bullet, the woman cut your chest and then I killed her. Renee shot Odell, but he's still alive and in an isolation room."

"How bad did he get hurt?"

A smirk appeared on her face and she said, "Renee shot one of his balls off."

He laughed, then groaned in pain. "Don't make me laugh."

_I better not tell him Odell's new nickname,_ she thought. "The Marines brought you here, then Kathy and the medics sewed you up. You went to sleep after they brought you in here."

"You've been with me the whole time?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "I am your private nurse," she said. "Wait until you get my bill."

He started to laugh again and bit his lower lip. But he did smile and said, "They say laughter is the best medicine. It just hurts, is all. I wanted to be doing something else right about now."

"I know, Martin. I wanted to do that for you, too." Then she smirked again. "That's because you would owe me big time for it."

He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Love you."

She kissed him again. "I love you, too."

"Getting hurt sucks, just in case you wanted to know."

"Really? I thought you liked it, since you keep on doing it."

Just then, the door opened and Helen walked in. "I see that you're awake, Martin. Kathy said that you can have something to eat, so Jane's getting you a bowl of soup."

"I'll go get myself something to eat then," Daria said, then looked at Martin. "You'll be O.K. until I get back?"

"I should be."

She kissed him again, then walked out of the room as Helen sat down in the chair. "Well," the older woman said, "I'd ask how you're feeling, but I already know the answer to that one."

He laughed gently and grimaced. "I've had better days. It hurts when I laugh or cry. I'm afraid to sing, too."

"You need to watch the risks you take, Martin." She opened a book and prepared to read.

Martin looked at her and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Helen sighed and said, "Like I told you before, Daria loves you. I really do not want to comfort her over your dead body. She's happy around you and I actually enjoy seeing that."

"I don't enjoy getting hurt, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

She smiled and nodded. "Just be more careful, please. If not for yourself, then do it for her."

Then, the door opened, and Jane walked in carrying a bowl of soup. "Do you like cream of rutabaga soup?" the teen asked.

"Ugh," Martin replied. "No, I don't."

"That's good," Jane said, a smirk on her face. "Because I have potato soup instead."

He laughed as he sat up carefully and groaned in pain. "Please don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"Is he being nice?" she asked Helen.

"So far, yes," the older woman said.

The teen ate his soup slowly and grimaced as he swallowed. _I even feel it when I swallow_. He set the bowl on the bedside table and closed his eyes.

"You have to eat," Jane said from beside him. "Doctor's orders."

"It hurts when I swallow, too," he said.

"You'll heal a lot faster if you eat," Daria's voice said loudly.

Martin opened his eyes to see his girlfriend come back in the room with her own bowl of soup. "I don't feel like eating."

Jane and Helen looked at each other as Daria stared at him in silence and sat down on the bed beside him. "Please, Martin," she said quietly. "Eat your soup. Do it for me." She moved her lips to his right ear and whispered, "I want my man to keep his strength up. Because you're going to need all of it when the time comes, boy."

He blushed and a small smile appeared on his face. "O.K.," he said. "I'm convinced, honey." He took the soup bowl and ate his food in silence.

Jane smiled and shook her head. "What'd you do, Daria? Threaten to 'punish' him?"

Daria smiled sardonically at her mother and her best friend. In a pseudo-Marlon Brando-like voice, she said, "I made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

**oooooooooo**

Martin yawned as the time approached ten p.m. He smiled weakly at Daria and said, "I think I'm going to go back to sleep. You don't have to stay here. I'll be fine."

Daria motioned for him to sit up and she helped him to his feet. "Go to the bathroom," she said. "I'll wait for you to get done and then tuck you in."

He moved quietly and Daria smiled as the gown opened enough for her to see his underwear. He turned when he reached the bathroom and smiled at her as he shut the door. But when he came out a few minutes later, Daria had already changed into a T-shirt that came down to her knees. Her legs were bare under the shirt and he gawked at her for several seconds. "What are you doing?"

"I'm spending the night with you," she said, moved up to him and kissed him quickly. She moved around him towards the bathroom. "Be right back."

When she came back out, she asked, "Do you think you can lay on your right side? I'll snuggle in behind you and we can sleep spoon fashion."

He smiled and said, "It won't matter how I lay, because it hurts anyway." He looked over her and said, "That's one of my T-shirts."

"It's kind of big, but I like the...fragrance it has."

Martin blinked. "It's not a clean one, is it?"

Daria shook her head and smiled. "No, but it's not a fermented one, either."

He laid on his right side and she bent over and kissed him. "I can see down your shirt," he teased.

"I know." She kissed him again. "That was another reason I chose this shirt." She stood there for several seconds and let him look, kissed him again, then moved around, turned off the light and climbed into the bed behind him. She pulled the covers up and snuggled up behind him. "Oh, you're warm."

"If my hands go somewhere they shouldn't...I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she whispered. "I'm more worried about you farting on me, anyway."

He chuckled and groaned. "You enjoy making me laugh, I know it."

Daria grabbed his butt and said, "I actually enjoy this a lot more. Go to sleep, Martin. Tonight, _I'll_ hold you in _my_ arms tonight and protect you."

"I love you."

She smiled, wrapped her arms around him and kissed the back of his neck. "I love you, too."

He turned over and faced her in the darkness. Slowly he moved his hands up her sides to her face and kissed her for several seconds.

Daria took a deep breath when he broke the kiss. "I thought that you were tired," she said.

"I am," he said, "and I'm in pain. I'm also...excited."

"Remember our decision, Martin. When we get away from Carthage."

He kissed her again. "I remember it and I will honor it. I just want you to know that both the spirit and flesh is willing. Even if I hurt like mad."

She smiled and kissed him. "Turn over, honey," she said. "Let me keep you secure."

He turned back over again and she reached her arms under his gown and around his chest.

"If I hurt you, tell me."

"I wish I washed up," he said. "I'm sorry if I stink."

"Shhh. You're just fine the way you are. Go to sleep, boyfriend. Go to sleep."

He laid still as she held him and she felt his body relax as sleep took him. It took her as well several minutes later.

An hour later, a corpsman opened the door and glanced in at the two. She smiled and quietly shut the door to let them sleep.

**oooooooooo**

Odell sat up in bed and grimaced at the pain from his injured crotch. He had no idea what time it was, but he didn't really care. It was dark and he was leaving.

From his window, he couldn't see much of anything. The church was on the other side of the medical trailer and for that he was thankful. _I don't think I can ever face Nora again._

He had a deep desire to get his Browning pistol and take care of Renee, but he suppressed that urge. _Just get the hell out of here! Before they kill you._

It struck him as ironic that Kathy took the time to treat his injury when she knew that he'd would probably be executed. _Probably her idea of a sick joke, the bitch._

The hospital gown he now wore, however, he considered an insult. They had taken his clothes and he knew that his escape would be cold and uncomfortable. He frowned as he pulled the IV needle out of his right arm and grimaced from that pain. _Beats being hung or shot._

He quietly disassembled the IV pole, held it in his right hand and smiled smugly. _Not a nine iron, but it'll do. _He slung the blanket over his shoulder and opened the door carefully. The duty corpsman sat in a chair and listened to soft music on a radio as she read a paperback novel.

When he moved out in the hall, the female corpsman turned to look at him. "What are you -"

Odell cut off her question as he viciously swung the metal pole at her like a baseball bat. The pole smacked the left side of her face and she cried out in pain. Automatically, she cowered down and tried to shield herself with her hands. The man lifted the pole over his head and brought it down on her twice more.

The woman collapsed on the floor and he carefully bent down over her body. He felt her pulse and said, "Good, you're alive. That way, you'll hurt when you come to." He took the sidearm from her holster and smiled. "A Browning 9-mm. Thank you very much."

For the next several minutes, Odell searched the trailer for clothes he could wear and he came to the room where Daria and Martin laid asleep in bed. _It would be so easy, _he thought. _Two quick head shots and leave their bloody carcasses in the bed. Next time, kiddies. We'll settle this one later._ Then he stared at Martin. _Lucky bastard._ He shut the door quietly and moved down to the next room.

There he found medical scrubs, but no shoes. Quickly, he stripped off the gown and looked down at his bandaged crotch. _Someone will pay for this. I wish it was Renee._ He put on the scrubs and walked back out into the hallway.

Once more, he checked the female corpsman's pulse. _Still strong._ He turned her onto her back and elevated her legs. _You don't deserve this, but I'm a nice guy. But if I had the time and the strength...I'd take you with me, girl._ He looked her over and quickly ran one hand over her body. He squeezed one breast and smiled. _Yep, they're real. I could sell you easily._

He picked up the blanket and carefully opened the front door of the trailer, then looked around. Two Marines on watch disappeared around the side of the church and he quickly walked outside and around the trailer. _Get to my house and get some real clothes and shoes. Then get in my truck and take off for Raleigh...or somewhere my talents will be appreciated._

He stopped, took several deep breaths and wrapped the blanket around him. He grimaced from the feeling of the rocks that came through the non-skid socks he wore and walked off into the darkness.


	42. Chapter 42

Martin stirred as he heard the door suddenly open and he saw an armed Marine in the doorway. "What's wrong?" he asked in a tired voice.

The Marine looked at the two in bed and asked, "Are you two O.K.?"

Daria stirred in her sleep and moved closer to Martin. He glanced at her and said, "We're fine. Is something wrong?"

"You go on back to sleep, sir. Everything's O.K." He looked at Daria's sleeping form, smiled at them and gave Martin a thumbs up, then shut the door.

The teen sat there in confusion, then laid back on his side. Daria moved even closer to him and muttered, "Keep me warm."

He reached behind her, patted her left thigh and closed his eyes.

**oooooooooo**

It was just after six when Martin woke up again and sat up in the bed. He looked over at Daria and smiled. _I enjoyed having you beside me - even if all we did was sleep._

Her nightshirt rode up slightly and he could see her panties. The temptation to pull her shirt up further hit; he pulled up the hem and bared her breasts. After several seconds of looking, she shivered in her sleep and he pulled the shirt back down.

Martin stood up carefully, more to keep from waking her up than from the pain he felt due to his injuries. He looked back at her thighs and the sight of her breasts under the shirt material and smiled again. _The flesh and spirit are definitely willing, _he thought.

Gently, he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and walked to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, he came back out, got under the covers and laid back down facing her. He ran the fingers of his right hand gently over the left side of her face, then caressed her shoulder and arm before resting his hand on her hip.

Daria stirred, blinked several times and looked at him. "Hey," she said, her voice groggy. "You're awake."

"So are you," he replied and kissed her briefly.

She stared at him for several seconds, then asked, "Well, what did you think?"

"About what?"

"About what you hadn't seen of my body before," she said. "You went into my panties while I was asleep, didn't you?"

"No." Martin shook his head. "I just bared your boobs for a few seconds." He reached to her and pulled the shirt up to her midriff. "I like how your panties look on you," he added, "but don't you have any with flowers or teddy bears on them?"

"No." Daria blushed, but laid still. She drew in her breath as he moved his right hand to her belly and gently rubbed her.

He hooked his right index finger into the waistband near her navel and glanced at her face. Then he moved his face to hers, kissed her again and pulled the waistband out. He looked down, smiled, and said, "I see that you really are auburn-haired."

"Martin!" Daria hit his upper arm and smiled. "You're embarrassing me."

"A Marine came in the room during the night."

His comment caused her to quickly pull his finger away from her panties and pull her shirt down. "What did he do?" she asked. "Did he touch..."

"He didn't touch either one of us," Martin said. "But he was armed and asked if we were O.K. I asked him what was wrong, but he said that everything was fine and told me to go back to sleep." He looked at her face carefully. "Did you hear anything during the night?"

Daria shook her head. "I slept better than I have lately," she said. "What about you?"

He nodded and sighed. "I heard something, but I'm not sure what it was. It was right before the Marine came into the room. Maybe Odell gave them some grief. I don't know." He sniffed his right armpit and gave her a weak smile. "I definitely need a shower, but what do I do? Do I leave the bandages on and wrap them up in plastic? Or do I take them off?"

She sat up and stretched. "You were kind of out of it when I asked Kathy about that," she said. "She said to take off your bandages - carefully - and just let the water run over your injuries. After the shower, just put back on your gown and she'll have new bandages put on you. " The teen got up, stretched again and said, "Give me a minute and I'll help you take off your bandages."

Martin sat up and took a deep breath. He grimaced from the pain in his chest. _Is Daria's mom right? Do I take too many chances?_

"O.K.," Daria said from the bathroom. "Come on in here and we'll get those bandages off."

He stood up, blushed and took off the gown.

Daria whistled and smiled from the bathroom door. "Strut your stuff. Woo-hoo!"

"You're going to have to settle for shuffling right now," he said. "Wait until I heal to strut."

She had him sit on the toilet and carefully removed the bandage on his forehead. "How's your headache doing?"

"It's gone, but the wound itself hurts."

She looked at him silently and kissed him. "Sometimes, you really scare me."

"I don't mean to."

"I want you to be more careful." She kissed him again. "I want to keep you around awhile longer. I don't know why."

"Could it be because you love me?"

Daria stroked her chin and shook her head. "No, that's not it. Give me a minute and I'll figure it out." She kissed him again. "You know it is," she said, her voice quieter. "Do it for me, O.K.?"

Martin nodded. "Your mom already asked me to be more careful last night."

She smiled, then looked at the chest bandage and thought for a few seconds. "This is going to hurt no matter what. You are going to lose some chest hairs. Brace yourself."

"Pain seems to be the new normal for me," he said and closed his eyes. "Go ahead." He winced as Daria pulled the bandage off slowly. When she saw that it didn't stick to the stitches, she yanked it off quickly and he cried out in pain.

"Sorry," she said and threw the bandage away. She then looked at his left forearm and hand and shook her head. "The same is true for your arm and hand. Why didn't they shave you before they bandaged you?"

He took several deep breaths and said, "Probably because it's entertaining to see someone get their hair yanked out. Let's just get it over with."

"O.K." She removed the bandages the same way she did with the chest and removed even more hair with the tape than she did on his chest. She gave him a weak smile and said, "Sir, I recommend next time that you use a depilatory cream to remove those unwanted hairs." She held out her right hand. "That will be 50, cash only."

Martin laughed and said, "Put it on my bill." He stood up and said, "I'll go ahead and get cleaned up." He closed the shower curtain and turned on the water. As it warmed up, he turned to see Daria step out of her panties and stand before him naked. He exhaled loudly and looked her over. He gave her a low wolf whistle and smiled.

"I'm helping you wash up, too," she said, both a smile and a blush on her face. "Take off your underwear and let's get in there."

He pulled his underwear down and off under her watchful gaze and they kissed briefly.

"I see that your dark-brown hair is natural as well," she commented and laughed when he blushed. "Just remember, _boyfriend_, this is only going to be a shower. No hot and heavy sex - not here - not until we're away from here."

"The flesh is willing--" he started to say.

"I think that's kind of obvious," Daria said as she looked down.

He laughed, briefly grimaced in pain and they hugged.

"Watch where you put that," she protested and he suppressed his laugh. Then they went into the shower and closed the curtain.

**oooooooooo**

Jane Lane entered the room and said, "Hey, _amiga..._Daria?" She listened and heard the shower running in the bathroom.

She stepped up to the bathroom door and listened, then blushed as she heard both Martin and Daria in the shower.

Jane smiled and shook her head briefly, then moved to the door and shut it. She waited until she heard the water shut off and stepped out quietly.

**oooooooooo**

Daria had just gotten dressed and brushed her hair out as Kathy opened the door and asked, "Hello...is everyone awake?"

"Martin's in the bathroom," the teen said. "He's getting cleaned up and I'm waiting to see if he's O.K."

The doctor noticed that Daria's hair was slightly wet. "Did you help him get the bandages off?"

Daria nodded. "I took off a lot of hair on his arm."

"How's the shower in there?"

The teen kept a straight face and said, "I hope I didn't use up all the hot water or he'll have a chilly time." Then she frowned and asked, "What happened last night?"

Kathy looked away and said, "Nothing for you to worry about."

"Was there a problem with Odell?"

"I...I can't give you any details, Daria, but yes, there was a problem with Odell."

Martin came out of the bathroom, saw Kathy, and held his gown down on his thighs. He moved quickly to the bed and covered himself up.

The doctor laughed and said, "Martin, I'm a doctor and you would just be a face in the crowd to me. There's no need to be embarrassed."

"Maybe to you," he countered. "But I consider you a friend and having you see me er, um...naked...would be very embarrassing."

"Should I leave?" Daria asked and stood up.

"No," he said. "It's just that I don't even have underwear on now."

"Cover yourself up to your waist," Kathy said, "and let me see your injuries."

Martin did as the doctor said and laid there as she examined each of his wounds.

"You're doing good, Martin," she finally said. "Your chest wound needs to be dried off a little better and I'll send in a corpsman to put on new bandages. Do you need anything?"

"Yeah, can I leave?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know. I'll see you later this afternoon. Just stay in bed for the day and take it easy." She left the room.

Daria went to the bathroom and came back out with a towel. As she dried him off around the chest wound, she said, "So you're naked under the covers, huh? Maybe I should wait to get you some clean underwear. Especially when Jane and Mom come in?"

A look of horror appeared on his face and she laughed at him. She quickly kissed his forehead and said, "Just teasing. I'll get you some underwear and you won't be all 'naked'. But really, this blanket is thick and nobody can see under it."

"That's right, and with underwear on also, they definitely won't see anything."

"Chicken," Daria said and laid the towel on the chair. She walked to the door and said, "I'll be back, with your underwear and your breakfast."

**oooooooooo**

Jane caught up with Daria as she carried two breakfast plates back towards the trailer. "Hey, Daria," she said.

"Hello, Jane," the petite teen said and smiled.

The tall runner also smiled as they walked together and she whispered, "So was he all that you expected him to be?"

Daria glanced at her. "What?"

"Martin...in the shower. Was he everything you expected him to be?"

For several seconds, Daria said nothing. Then, as she reached the trailer and Jane opened the door, she smiled widely and said, "He was..._more _than I expected."

Jane blushed and looked at her friend with her mouth open.

Daria laughed at her and asked, "Are you coming in with me? If you don't believe me, I can prove it."

"NO!"

"I'm just teasing you, Jane. He's waiting for his breakfast. Come on in and say 'Hey' to him."

"Not right now! I don't think I could face him with that image you put in my mind."

Daria simply laughed as Jane walked fast back towards the church. Then she went on to Martin's room.

**oooooooooo**

It was almost eight a.m. when Daria and Martin heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said and bit into a piece of ham, then frowned when Rev. Harris came in.

"I know, Martin, you don't want to see me, but I do need to talk to both of you for a minute. If I may?"

The teens glanced at each other, shrugged and Martin said, "O.K. What do you want?"

The preacher came in and sat in the chair on the bed's right side. "I owe both of you a very deep and sincere apology," he said. "I took Odell's lie as a truth and came down like a ton of bricks on you two. I'm sorry for that."

"What happened with Odell?" Daria asked. "Nobody will tell us."

The older man shook his head and sighed. "He severely beat up a corpsman, a young woman, and escaped during the night. He took her sidearm with him."

Martin stared at him in shock. "What? He got away?"

"How is the corpsman?" Daria asked.

Harris looked sad as he talked. "She has a concussion and a broken jaw. They're sending her to a hospital away from here. With Odell's...injury...they assumed that he would be in too much pain to do anything. That was a mistake."

"No kidding," Martin said. "He could have come in here and shot us."

The preacher looked at Daria and asked, "How well did you sleep last night?"

She gave him a small smile and said, "These chairs aren't made for sleeping. Not really. But I wanted to be here for him, so I persevered and suffered in silence."

"I felt safe with her keeping watch over me," Martin added.

"God kept a watch on you two is more like it," Rev. Harris said. "I'm not going to criticize you two or judge you despite what you two may or may not have done while you're alone. I just hope that you can forgive me - and forgive Odell and that rogue Marine as well."

"I can see forgiving you," Daria said. "After all, you apologized for...that stupid incident. But why should we forgive those other two?"

The preacher looked at her and smiled gently. "I know that you're not a Christian, Daria, but forgiveness is still important, regardless of that. Explain it to her, Martin."

The teen gave his girlfriend a rueful smile. "He's right. When you hold a grudge against someone, they control you. Forgiveness is the best kind of revenge, because it puts the ball back in their court and frees you from bitterness."

"I thought you might remember that lesson," Harris said.

"So I take it that sending a bomber squadron after Odell is out of the question, huh?" she asked.

Martin laughed, then groaned. Rev. Harris just shook his head.

**oooooooooo**

Not long after Rev. Harris left, a corpsman came in and put clean bandages on Martin. After he left, Daria stood up and said, "I need to take care of something. Do you need anything before I go?"

"Yeah, I need another shower. I think you missed a spot on me, so you need to start over."

She smiled. "Keep it up and...wait a minute, wrong choice of words. Never mind, I'll be back in a bit." She kissed him. "I'll bring you a book."

He reached up and they briefly held hands, and she left the room.

Daria walked down to a door labeled "Doctor's Office" and knocked.

"Come in!" Kathy Wilson called out and the teen walked in and shut the door. "Daria, what can I do for you? Have a seat."

The girl looked around and nodded. "Cushy office." She sat down on a couch near the desk.

"I'm glad they had it delivered before that gunfight you had with Odell and that Marine. It's easier to keep clean and it's better lit than Jack's office in the church. Besides, he's glad he has his office back. Now what can I do for you?"

Daria blushed and cleared her throat. "This is a private matter," she said. "Just between you and me."

"Well, we're alone, Daria. You can speak freely in here."

"It's also difficult to ask you about." The teen swallowed and then blurted out, "Can you give me birth control pills?"

Kathy looked at her in silence and a smile appeared on her face. "You don't need to be embarrassed about that, Daria."

"It's just I know that you disapprove. I consider you a friend and I don't want to disappoint or upset you."

The doctor nodded, got up and moved to the couch. She sat beside Daria and said, "The only way you could disappoint or upset me is for you to use Martin as if he were a toy - no double entendre intended." She touched Daria's arm. "True, I think it's better that marriage should come before sex, but I'm realistic enough to know better. Luckily for you, the U.S. Public Health Service has issued birth control pills to those areas under military control. Some people here will take them, but not very many. This is a conservative church..."

"I've noticed that."

Kathy gave her a small smile. "Like I was saying, this is a conservative church and a lot of eligible women here won't take birth control pills. I can give you an 12-month supply and a prescription for several refills, in the event that you're not here when they run out."

Daria looked relieved. "Thank you, Kathy. I...we really appreciate it."

"You could have simply said that you wanted to make your periods more regular."

The teen blinked and looked at her. "Why would I say that? It would be a lie. Besides, my periods _are_ regular, more or less."

"Thank you for your honesty, Daria. There is one thing you two should keep in mind, however. You need to take these pills for one month...before you have unprotected sex."

Daria's eyes widened in shock. "What?" she asked.

Kathy smiled and nodded. "A lot of people don't understand that, but yes. I know I'm not a gynecologist, but I do know that. One of my cousins, for instance, thought that you only took the pill on days you had sex. That explained why she had five kids before she turned 20."

"Ugh." Daria shuddered. "Martin and I have discussed it and we don't want to risk a pregnancy due to...radiation concerns."

"God gave us a brain," Kathy said, "and He expects us to use it. You and Martin obviously do, and I'm glad. In a relationship, communication is vital. The fact that you two can talk with each other concerning sex and other matters is great."

"I never expected to hear you say that."

"I may be a conservative Christian, but that doesn't mean I stick my head in the sand... like some of my contemporaries."

Daria smiled. "I know I'm not the most communicative person out there, but I can talk to Martin so easily, I look forward to even talking about mundane things with him." She rolled her eyes. "But his jokes are horrible."

"Oh? Are they dirty jokes?"

"No, they're just horrible. He loves my reactions to them, however."

Kathy shook her head, but smiled. "A man who can make you laugh _and_ talk with you is a treasure. I have to admit, though, I was worried about Martin for a long time."

"Oh?"

"Concerning his mother."

"Oh."

"Keep in mind, Daria, he can and probably still will cry over what happened to his family. Just as you probably will about your father and sister. Be there for each other when that happens."

**oooooooooo**

There was a knock on the door and Daria answered it to find Renee Andrews standing there. "Hello," she said. "I didn't expect to see you here."

The younger girl was nervous. "I...I just wanted to thank you two...for what you did out there. Plus, I wanted to see how Martin was doing."

"He's asleep right now, but I can wake him up if you want to talk to him."

"No! I just...feel awkward since he got hurt helping me."

Daria shook her head. "I think that getting hurt is a favorite pastime of his. I have a question for you. You have an online blog, right?"

"Yes," Renee said. "I never talked about it at the church because I was afraid I'd get in trouble." She looked down at the floor. "I almost got..." She swallowed. "...because of my blog."

"What can you tell me about Odell Jones that I don't already know?"

"Have you read my blog?"

"No," Daria said and led the girl into the room. "With everything that happened after Black Saturday, I forgot all about the Internet."

The girl looked at the walls and said, "O.K., you have a phone jack. I can get my laptop, plug in here and let you look over my blog. How's that?"

Daria smiled. "Sure. I'd appreciate that."

Renee moved to the door and said, "I'll be back in several minutes."

**oooooooooo**

He had on a comfortable sweatshirt and sweatpants. A bottle of Grey Eyes vodka sat in a small trash can close to his right leg. Country music played on the CD player and Odell Jones felt a sense of freedom and relief that he hadn't felt in a long time. His crotch still hurt, of course, but the vodka helped to dull the pain somewhat.

It was nearly dawn when he reached his home and it only took him 20 minutes to get his gear together and take the Dodge minivan and head south. _Full tank of gas, a loaded gun and a hot little number...yeah, I've got it made._

Briefly, he looked down at the floor between the two front bucket seats and smiled at the young brunette bound and gagged there. She only had on the torn remnants of a T-shirt and a pair of eyeglasses with the left lens cracked. Her left eye was purple and slightly swollen and dried blood coated her right nostril. _Little darling put up a good fight after I shot her boyfriend - till I beat the shit out of her and stripped her. She's not Daria, but she looks close enough for me._

"I have to wait to try you out," he told the girl, who looked up at him with terror in her expression. "But I'll have some fun with you while I'm waiting." He picked up a SIG P220 9-mm pistol, aimed it at her face and said, "Bang - you're dead. But if you do as I tell you, when I tell you, you'll survive. Remember that, girl. Remember that."

She whimpered and closed her eyes and he laughed as he turned right at an intersection. _Time for the new Odell Jones to start his life._


	43. Chapter 43

Daria saw Jane pose outside as Danny painted on a canvas and she stopped to watch. The young man turned to see her and asked, "Do you need something, Daria?"

"I just need to talk to Jane when you can spare her."

Danny shrugged. "Go ahead and talk to her. She doesn't have to be 'frozen', just stay in the same general position."

"Thanks." She walked up to Jane and said quietly, "O.K., Lane, I have a question for you."

"No, I won't film you and Martin taking a shower together."

"Jane!"

The tall teen smiled and said, "Sorry, Daria, I couldn't resist. What do you need?"

"How did you know that Martin and I took a shower together? You asked me earlier about how...I liked his..."

"Daria!" Jane blushed and let out a sigh. "I went to see you earlier this morning. I couldn't sleep that good last night..."

"I slept better last night than I have lately," Daria interrupted her.

"I'm not surprised, Daria. Your mom kept looking out the window at the trailer, though. She's having a difficult time accepting your 'intimacy' with Martin. But like I was saying, I couldn't sleep good last night because I was still hyper from the gunfight. I thought I'd eat breakfast with you, then run my excitement off on the cemetery driving paths. When I came in Martin's room, however, I heard the shower and when I went up to the door, you two were...laughing and splashing. I could hear you."

Daria blushed and closed her eyes. "Oh, hell. If Mom came in..."

"I stood guard until I heard the water shut off, _amiga_. Look, Danny and I can stand guard for you two...or Trent and Pam can. We all know that you two are intimate - we just don't know how _far_ you've gone. We don't want to know, either."

Daria's blush deepened even more. "You don't have to worry about it," she said. "We aren't going to shower together here anymore."

Jane closed her eyes briefly and made a "tsk, tsk" sound. "Daria, take your happiness where you get it. If you want to do that, just tell me. I'll stand guard and I'll keep it to myself. Just don't let Martin take off his clothes in front of me, O.K.?"

Daria gave her a brief smile. "Yeah, you just want to look over my boyfriend's body."

"Not really, _amiga_. Not when I can look over Danny's body instead...and do, too."

Daria blushed. "Oh. I didn't know."

Jane giggled and smiled. "Just because you two don't know how to keep hidden and be subtle, doesn't mean that I'm like that, too. Give me some credit, Daria."

"Thank you, Jane. We'll probably do that again tomorrow morning. Hopefully we'll also be able to leave tomorrow." She turned to walk off.

"Daria!"

The petite teen turned back towards her friend.

"Don't leave Martin alone anymore. Get me, Pam, Trent or Helen to keep an eye on him when you're not there."

"What? How come?" 

"That woman who showed us her body isn't the only one who wants him. There are at least two...maybe three more who want to claim him now that Martha's dead and gone."

"How do you know this?"

Jane sighed. "I can't explain it, Daria. I just know it."

"You're starting to scare the shit out of me, Lane, you know that?"

"What do you think it's doing to me? It makes me feel freaky! Just get back to Martin and don't leave him alone. I'll check with you later."

Daria nodded, then walked back to the trailer quickly.

**oooooooooo**

Renee returned to Martin's room and looked at the sleeping boy as she handed Daria the laptop. "Is he O.K.?" she asked. "I mean, like, he's still asleep."

"Neither of us have slept very good lately," Daria replied. "I'll let him sleep a little while longer.."

The younger teen appeared troubled as she looked at Martin. "I just...I just feel so guilty right now."

"Guilty? Why do you feel guilty?" She plugged in the laptop and connected the phone cord.

Renee turned on the computer and got online, then downloaded her blog for Daria to read. "We...we haven't treated Martin very nice; none of us really treated him good at all. He was forbidden territory, so we...ignored him most of the time. Some of us even...laughed at him some, made fun of him. But he got hurt helping me." She closed her eyes. "I feel so ashamed. He could have said 'forget you' to all of us and it would have served us right. But he got hurt for me."

Daria smiled. "Martin couldn't do otherwise. It's a part of who he is. When he got shot while saving my life, I was troubled by it. After all, he didn't know me and I wasn't anything to him then. But I got to know him and I saw what he was really like. It irritates me that he's prone to getting hurt, but he couldn't just stand aside and do nothing while you got hurt." She walked over and lightly stroked his left shoulder. "He's a special man."

Renee saw how Daria looked at Martin, blushed and looked down at the floor. "He was always so lonely. No one could be his friend because his mother...well, you know."

"Yes, I know very well."

"I'm glad he has you," the younger teen said quickly and looked at her. "He's happier than I have ever seen him before. Treat him good, Daria."

"Oh, I will, believe me. Now, if I can see your blog?"

Daria sat down, read over the blog slowly and sighed as she read details about Martin, Martha and Odell. She finally looked over at the girl and asked, "Were you attracted to Martin?"

Renee blushed and looked down. "Yes. I'm sorry."

"It's O.K. I understand. Don't worry about it."

"I wasn't lying when I said I was glad he has you. You two are a good fit."

"Thank you." Daria smiled and sighed again. "Do you mind if I check my e-mail? I need to see if anyone I know has contacted me. That is, if my e-mail account hasn't expired."

"Oh, sure, go ahead," Renee said. "All the major e-mail providers are keeping their e-mail accounts current at least until Christmas. I read that at CNN's website, so you should still have an e-mail account."

It took Daria a few minutes to get into her account. She closed her eyes and groaned. "I have 210 new messages. Just great."

"You know that most of it is spam," the younger teen said.

Daria clicked on her inbox and said, "Might as well delete the crap now and see if anyone I know is still out there."

As she checked on the mail for deletion, Renee read one aloud, "'Daria M., get a bigger penis quickly.'" She chuckled. "I'm glad I'm not the only girl getting that kind of junk."

"You'd think that they'd at least just target men for that."

"I get stuff like that all the time. I made the mistake of opening one once."

"Oh?"

Renee blushed. "I never saw anything like _that_ before. It left nothing to the imagination."

Daria stopped at one e-mail and paled.

"What's wrong?" the younger teen asked.

Daria said nothing as she stared at the e-mail labeled, "'Sender: Amy Barksdale. Subject: Daria, if you're out there, please read.'"

**oooooooooo**

While Daria and Renee talked, Col. Armalin watched as a young male Marine was brought in front of his desk. "Private First Class Joseph Kincade, I see on the duty roster here that you had the midwatch at the medical trailer last night, to keep watch on one Odell Jones, a prisoner."

"Yes, sir!"

"Can you explain where you were when Hospital Corpsman Third Class Lindsey Lawson was severely beaten and had her sidearm stolen by Mr. Jones, who then escaped from custody."

"I had to go to the head, sir!"

"I don't like being lied to, Kincade. Sgt. McCoy said that he found you asleep in the back of a recreational vehicle in the church parking lot."

"I was tired, sir! I was on midwatch last night, too, I lost sleep and...and it's not fair!"

Armalin stood up and faced the private, a menacing glare on his face. "I've had a total of 10 hours sleep in the last five days, young man. Do you hear me whining about it?"

"No, sir."

"Because of your dereliction of duty, HM3 Lawson is now hospitalized with severe head and facial injuries. You're fortunate that she or the patient being cared for, or the patient's girlfriend, wasn't killed. I see that you requested a special court-martial instead of non-judicial punishment. Are you certain you want that? You can change your mind right now, if you want to."

"Yes, sir. I am certain of it."

"Very well. I will notify Gen. Simpson's office and you will be told when it will be held. Until then, you will be confined in the brig. Dismissed."

The young Marine was escorted out by two armed Marines.

**oooooooooo**

Daria left Jane with the still sleeping Martin and rushed to find Helen. She found her mother sweeping the wooden floor sections of the sanctuary. "Mom! I have to talk with you!"

Helen saw Daria's expression and asked, "What is it? What is it?"

The teen sat on the floor hard and said, "Aunt Amy's alive! I got an e-mail from her two weeks ago!"

"What? How do you know?"

Daria shook in her excitement and when Helen sat beside her, she hugged her mother tightly. "Renee, the girl we rescued, showed me her blog and after that, I checked my e-mail. She wrote me that she was alive and well."

"Where is she?"

"She didn't say. All she said was that if we sent her a message, she'd contact us and try to get to us when she could."

"Did she say anything about Rita or your grandmother?"

Daria shook her head. "She asked if we knew anything about them. I sent her a reply, told her of our situation and...about Dad and Quinn."

Helen embraced Daria and they started crying as they sat there alone.

**oooooooooo**

Martin awoke and sat up in bed. He was alone and looked around in a slight confusion. Then he saw the time was almost two and frowned. "Great, I missed lunch," he said.

Just then, Daria came in, said, "Thank you," to someone outside the room and closed the door. She held a steaming plate of beef chow mein and rice in her hands. "Oh, good, you're awake." She smiled and sat the plate on the bedside table and kissed him quickly, then pulled a bottle of Ultra Cola out of her jacket pocket and sat it beside the dinner plate.

"Isn't lunch over?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," she replied. "But I had a can of La Choy Beef Chow Mein in the SUV and fixed it for you and they had leftover rice from lunch. Jane stayed in here with you while I did that and took care of other things."

He pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard. "Can I have you for dessert, then?"

Daria blushed and pulled out of his arms. "Down, boy. I'll be with you while you eat and I have to tutor the middle school students one more time at 2:30. Did you sleep good?"

"I feel rested," he said and nodded. "I feel like chasing you around the room and wrestling you."

She smiled. "You do sound cheerful. I'm glad. How's the pain?"

"I can still feel it, but the painkillers Kathy gave me helps. What did you do while I was out?"

"Renee came over and talked with me awhile. She showed me her online blog entries about Odell."

"Oh? What was in it?"

Daria frowned and shuddered. "Apparently, Odell had a reputation of looking down blouses and dresses. He also molested a girl from here two years ago, according to Renee."

Martin had pulled the wheeled table over his lap and started to eat. He glanced at Daria quickly and said, "I didn't know that. Did she tell you who it was?"

"Some girl named 'Dani'."

"Oh, no. Danielle Carpenter. She quit church right after the King's Island trip."

"Where's King's Island?" Daria asked. "I haven't heard of it."

"It's a theme park located near Cincinnati. What...did he do to her? Did the blog say?"

She nodded and shook her head. "Apparently it was on the trip home from King's Island. He forced his hand inside her pants and underwear and fondled her, then forced her to...reach into his pants and fondle him, too. Renee told me that the trip home took six hours and that he molested her for nearly the whole time. She was too scared to cry out or stop him. Were you on that trip?"

"Yeah, but I slept on the way back. I thought everyone else did, too."

Daria frowned as she shook her head. "And while all of you slept, Odell Jones terrorized a 13-year-old girl for several hours."

"And they let that...asshole get away," he said and started eating.

"When I got your food out of the SUV, I saw a Marine being escorted into Col. Armalin's trailer. I think he was in trouble." She touched Martin's left leg and he looked at her. "I checked my e-mail after I read Renee's blog. I found out that one of my aunts is still alive."

Martin smiled and hugged her briefly. "That's great! You told me about your Mom's sisters. Is it one of them?"

Daria nodded. "Her younger sister, Amy. She lives near Washington, but for some reason, she was away from there when it happened. I sent her an e-mail and I'll check again before we leave to see if she responds to it."

**oooooooooo**

Helen came into the room later and found Martin alone. "Jane sent me over. Where's Daria?"

"She had one more tutoring session to take care of," he said and laid down his book. "Come on in and have a seat."

The woman looked uncertain, but did as Martin asked. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I slept through lunch, but I feel O.K. My wounds hurt, but I expect they will for a couple of weeks. Kathy just left and she said that I'm healing as I should." He shrugged. "How are you doing?"

Helen shook her head and sighed. "I'm still trying to get used to the idea that Daria is more of an adult now than a child."

"I think I understand," Martin said. "At times, I think that she's more mature than I am. But at the same time, I'm in sync with her. It's really neat."

"But when I think of you two alone," she said, "I don't like what I sometimes picture. I end up wanting to punish her and throttle you."

The teen looked down at the bed briefly, then back up at Helen's face. "Mrs. Morgendorffer, I promise you that last night, Daria and I kissed a few times, but then slept. The night before, she was scared and I held onto her..."

"You were asleep in each other's arms when I woke up that morning," Helen interrupted him, a small smile on her face. "I liked how it looked."

Martin smiled. "I'm glad. Last night, though, I was hurt and in pain. Daria held onto me. She comforted me, protected me and made me feel secure."

"I know that you two are mature, Martin. After all, when Daria was little, talking with her was like talking to a miniature adult sometimes. But even then, the heat of the moment can...override intellect. Be careful with my girl, Martin. She's all I have left, really. Daria and Jane may be adults in your eyes, and in their own eyes as well. You may view yourself as adult also, but you are still an 18-year-old boy who hasn't graduated from high school yet."

He adjusted himself on the bed and pulled the covers up slightly. "Daria said that she would talk with you about how I can get my diploma. Not that it really matters anymore."

"Don't talk like that," Helen said and shook her right index finger in the air. "It _does_ matter. She did mention it to me and I have an idea for a plan of action. When we leave here, the first thing we should do is go to your high school and find out what you still need to do to earn your diploma. You may have to take tests - several of them - but you _will_ get your diploma." She smiled wryly. "Really, Daria and Jane are in the same boat as you are, except that they're still juniors. I need to see about helping them advance in their education as well."

Martin looked away briefly and wiped his eyes. "I really appreciate this, Mrs. Morgendorffer. Thank you."

"Martin, you don't have to thank me." Helen smiled and leaned back in the chair. "I am your 'guardian', after all. It is my duty."

"I still appreciate it."

"I know. By the way, you can call me Helen. You don't have to be so...formal with me."

"I...I don't know if I can do that."

"Well, being called 'Mrs. Morgendorffer' seems so...wrong now...without Jake." 

"I wish I could have met your husband...and Quinn, too."

Helen smiled and shook her head. "Jake would love you, just because you hunt squirrels. In fact, he'd want to join you and be a danger to anybody nearby - or within five miles." She chuckled briefly. "Quinn, however, would have loved meeting you, just so she could tease Daria about you."

"You mean like Jane already does?"

She nodded. "Something like that, yes."

The door opened and Daria walked in. "Hey, Mom. Is Martin behaving?"

"So far. How was your tutoring session?"

The teen gave them a weak smile. "They hugged me, since we're going to leave soon and it was the last class. I almost cried." She looked at Martin. "Did Kathy say you could leave?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Kathy Wilson came in. "I'm back. I know that you folks are all ready to leave Carthage. Martin, you've healed enough to leave whenever you want. But I don't want you to do any heavy lifting for at least two weeks."

"O.K.," he said.

The doctor turned to Daria. "I can show you how to remove the stitches. When his cuts close up good, they can be taken out."

Daria smiled. "I know how to do it. I saw it done a week after Black Saturday, and I know how to clean and bandage him, too."

Helen stood up. "I'll leave for now. Daria, I'll talk to you later."

"O.K., Mom."

Kathy looked at them. "When are all of you planning to leave?"

Daria looked at Martin and then back at Kathy. "I haven't told Martin yet, but I'm thinking he should stay in here one more night, if it's O.K. with you, then we'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry about it," the doctor said. "I'll discharge you tomorrow morning, Martin."

"Thank you, Kathy," he said and she left the room. He looked at Daria. "You just want to sleep in a bed again."

"Of course," Daria said, a smirk on her face. "You shouldn't be the only one sleeping good. Now you better behave if _you_ want to sleep here with me."

"I will." They kissed and he hugged her. "Strange thing happened after you left."

"Oh?" Daria tensed and waited.

"Kathy was in here with me, examining my chest and arm, and Bethany Perkins walked in."

"Which one is she?" She frowned and clenched her hands into fists.

"She's a blonde 14-year-old, hangs out with the preacher's daughter and another girl. They're a clique."

"Valley girl wannabes?" she asked.

"Yes, you could say that."

"I've met them. What was so strange about it?"

"Her blouse was partly unbuttoned. That was...alarming, but the strange thing is that she was one of those people who used to make fun of me when Mom wasn't around. Even if you had never come here, I'd have nothing to do with her."

Daria glared at the door. "I'll kick her ass if she comes back in here."

Martin touched her left arm gently and flinched as she turned towards him, a glare on her face. "Kathy set her straight," he said. "She made Bethany button up her blouse and leave. Then she told the corpsman not to let anyone else in but you, your mother and our friends."

_I'll have to thank Kathy for that. _"I'm glad she thinks we make a good couple." She took a deep breath. "She put me on birth control pills." She looked at him to see his reaction.

Martin smiled and moved his right hand to her left hip. "Cool. Let's test them out."

She stared at him, her eyes wide open and held in her laugh. "Down, boy. Now, when we do...have sex...we'll still need to use condoms. For at least the next month. The birth control pills need to build up in my system before they're effective."

"O.K." He pulled up on her blouse. "I know something I can do that doesn't require a condom."

"Martin!" she said and pulled the blouse back down. "The door is unlocked! New rule. Do not expose my body to others or try to have sex with me in public. I'd kill you and most people don't want to see that, anyway." He started to speak and she interrupted him. "If you say 'I'll be good', I'll sew your mouth shut."

He laughed and held his chest wound as he laughed. She laid her face on his right shoulder and laughed with him.

**oooooooooo**

That night, Daria returned to the room, where Trent was playing the guitar as he sat with Martin.

"Oh, hey, Daria," the musician said. "Just trying out a new song and talking with Martin."

"What about?" 

"Our trip away from here. I can't wait. It's been nice, but the people here...they're too uptight."

She looked at her boyfriend. "Did anyone else come in?"

He shook his head. "Pam was here for a minute, but went to get the girls cleaned up for tomorrow."

Trent stood up. "I'll leave you two alone. I need to see Pam anyway. Good night."

"Good night," Daria and Martin said in unison as he left and shut the door.

"Jinx!" Daria said quickly. "You might as well buy me a case of Ultra Cola. You won't beat me, boy."

"I have no problem with you beating me, but it depends on what else we do when that happens."

She blushed and playfully smacked his upper left arm. "Keep it up and I will beat you."

Martin smiled at her, looked down briefly, and raised his eyebrows when he looked back at her.

"Oh!" She smacked his right arm then. "Be decent or I won't let you sleep in _my_ bed tonight." She kissed him and they hugged. "Jane and I packed our stuff up in the SUV and the truck. All that's left is what we have with us now."

"How are we going to do this?" he asked. "Who's going to ride in what?"

Daria sat down beside him on the bed. "You, Mom and I will ride in the pickup truck. Jane and Danny will ride in his car. Trent, Pam and the girls will take the SUV. Have you thought about where we're going when we leave?"

"Dad's Uncle Jim lives about a mile from the high school. I'd like to check on him and I know he'll let us stay with him for a few days."

"Will he have a problem with the two of us sleeping together? I don't want to start trouble with anyone else - not over sex, not again."

"I don't think so. I'll come out and ask him just to be sure."

**oooooooooo**

At bedtime, after Martin laid down and Daria went to the bathroom, she came out and moved to in front of him. "Scoot back some," she said. "It's your turn to hold me tonight."

He blinked. "Are you sure about this?"

She smirked. "Are you afraid to sleep like that?"

Martin raised one eyebrow, scooted back slightly and pulled back the covers. "Come on, girl. I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be. After all, you have to sleep sometime." She turned off the light, got under the covers and moved back against him. "Ahhh, you are sooo warm."

He pulled up her shirt slightly and pressed his body up against hers.

"I feel that. If you remove my panties, I'll shoot you. Just to let you know."

He laughed and kissed the top of her back. "Good night, Daria. I love you."

She turned slightly, kissed him and said, "I love you, too. Good night."

He moved his left arm over her and sighed in contentment as he relaxed for the night.

**oooooooooo**

The next morning, after Jane stood guard for Daria and Martin while they showered, Kathy released her patient and they got ready to leave.

"One place I want to go before we leave," Martin said as they walked towards the church.

"Oh?" Daria asked and looked up at him. "Where?"

He led her to the cemetery and she sighed as she remembered John's grave.

They stopped at the mound of earth and stood there in silence. After a few minutes, tears ran down Martin's cheeks and he closed his eyes. He held in a choked sob and Daria pulled him into an embrace. She guided his head into her right shoulder and he cried as she held him. Tears ran from her eyes as she held onto him.

**oooooooooo**

Most of the church gathered to see them off. Renee hugged Daria and Martin quickly, and said to Daria, "I'll send you an e-mail and keep you updated about us all here."

"Thank you. I'll do the same."

Kathy and Melissa Smith cried as they hugged Daria and Martin. "Be careful out there, Daria," the doctor said. "I put a good first-aid-kit with your stuff."

"I know," Daria said. "I saw it. Thank you."

Melissa whispered something in Jane's left ear and they laughed as they looked at Danny.

"What?" he asked, but they only smiled at him.

Jimmy Smith and many of them ones who supported them during the sex incident shook their hands. Rev. Harris took each of their hands in his, closed his eyes and said a quick prayer.

After the prayer, he looked at them, smiled and said, "Show respect for one another. You know my beliefs towards pre-marital sex, but I won't preach at you for now. But show respect for each other, please."

"We will," Martin said, his voice even.

"That's right," Daria added.

In time, the farewells were over and Daria, Martin and Helen walked back towards the Peters homestead. Jane, Trent and the others got their vehicles together and drove around the three walkers to gather at Martin's place.

At the garage, Pam and the girls used the restroom, while Danny and Trent loaded tools and other items in the back of the SUV. When the last person left the garage, Martin looked around one last time, then stepped outside.

Daria stood at the end of the driveway as everyone got in their vehicles. Martin locked the garage doors, looked around the property briefly and walked up to her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm looking at Carthage," she said and sighed. "We weren't here very long, but so much...changed since the day we first came." She smiled at him. "Some of it very much for the better."

"I'm so glad that you showed up here." He returned her smile. "Despite what I've lost, I've gained so much also. As far as Carthage goes, I'll miss this place...some. But not very much."

She sniffled and looked back up at the church. "I'll miss Kathy, Jimmy and Melissa."

"Me, too."

Daria cleared her throat, patted the sidearm on her right hip lightly and faced Martin. "I love you, Martin Peters."

Martin wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. As they kissed, she wrapped her arms around him. He broke the kiss and said, "I love you, Daria Morgendorffer."

The truck horn sounded and Helen yelled through the open driver's window. "Are we leaving today?"

Daria broke the hug, took Martin's left hand in her right and led him to the truck. "Let's get out of here."

They got in the truck and the caravan left, driving away from Carthage.

FINIS

To my readers: Daria, Jane, Martin and the others will return. _Brave New World_: An _Apocalyptic Daria _story, will start up soon.


	44. What About Tom?

Author's note: Given the antipathy some fans have towards Tom Sloane, and some comments made by readers in the course of posting this story, I decided to add him in it. This was originally written for the "1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane" thread on the PPMB, and I have made it canon for _Apocalyptic Daria. _It takes place in Chapter One of the main story. Tom was closer to Daria and Jane on Black Saturday than any of them realized...

**oooooooooo**

It was an plain old Saturday morning early in April and Tom Sloane was flying to Pittsburgh to visit a friend at Carnegie-Mellon. He had wanted to drive, but his father insisted that he fly from Baltimore to Pittsburgh instead. Something about the Pinto being unable to make such a drive. "Eh, whatever," he muttered and looked out of the window.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the pilot speaking. It is now a minute before eleven and we're beginning our approach to Pittsburgh International Airport. We don't see any --"

Suddenly the pilot screamed as a bright white flash illuminated the inside of the plane.

_What the hell?_ Tom thought as many of the passengers also screamed.

"I'm blind! I'm blind!" a man across the aisle from Tom yelled. Many others yelled the same thing. Fortunately, he hadn't been blinded, but seeing the panic didn't help much.

A woman cried out, "It's a nuke! Oh, my God, Pittsburgh's been nuked!"

Several people started crying out prayers and one child cried for his mother.

Suddenly the plane plummeted and Tom had a moment to think as he watched the tree-covered hill come towards the plane at a high rate of speed.

_Oh, s--_


End file.
